Commonly Confused Words — Set 2 flashcards
10 of 75 cards free to study here · 5 topics · the whole deck is built into Willys
Seventy-five more commonly confused pairs and trios, from capital and capitol to setup and set up: the difference in one line, an example for each word and a memory hook.
Learn deck · part of Commonly Confused Words · written against: 150 pairs and trios that usage guides list as commonly confused; mainstream American usage, with disputed points attributed. Updated 2026-10-10.
Study the free sample
10 cards from the deck as they are. Flip, rate yourself, filter by topic; your progress stays in this browser.
Tap the card or press Space to flip
The 10 sample cards as a list
-
capital or capitol?A capitol is a building where lawmakers do their work; capital is the city, and also money and uppercase letters.Sound-Alikes
Our class trip to Sacramento, the state capital, leaves at dawn.
Lawmakers met in the capitol to vote on the school budget.
Memory hook: The capitol building has an o, like the dome on top of many capitols; every other sense is capital. -
aural or oral?Aural has to do with hearing through the ears; oral relates to the mouth or to speech.Sound-Alikes
The Spanish exam has an aural section where you answer questions about a recording.
Each student gives a three-minute oral report on a favorite inventor.
Memory hook: Aural starts with au, like audio, sound reaching your ear; oral starts with o, the shape of an open mouth. -
device or devise?A device is a tool or gadget; to devise, rhyming with prize, is to plan or invent.Look-Alikes
This handheld device measures how much rain has fallen.
Engineers devised nets that pull drinking water from foggy air.
Memory hook: As with advice and advise, the c word is the noun, a thing; the s word is the verb and rhymes with prize. -
respectfully or respectively?Respectfully means with respect; respectively means first with first, second with second.Look-Alikes
Omar respectfully disagreed with his teacher's reading of the poem.
Mia and Leo play trumpet and drums, respectively, in the jazz band.
Memory hook: Respectfully is full of respect; respectively goes with respective: each in its own turn, in order. -
libel or slander?Libel is defamation in writing or another lasting form; slander is spoken defamation.Near Meanings
The magazine was sued for libel over a false article about a baker.
Telling neighbors a false story that ruins someone's good name is slander.
Memory hook: Libel comes ultimately from Latin liber, “book”: it's in print. Slander starts with s, like said. -
oral or verbal?Oral means spoken; verbal means in words, written or spoken. MW also allows verbal for spoken; many guides prefer oral.Near Meanings
Our grandmother recorded an oral history of her years on the farm.
The test has a verbal section on reading and vocabulary.
Memory hook: Oral goes with the mouth, as in oral surgeon; verbal goes with verb and any words, spoken or written. -
like or as?Many guides want as before a clause (as I said) and like before a noun (like a pro).Grammar Pairs
Eli swims like a fish.
As I said yesterday, the meeting starts at four.
Memory hook: If a subject and verb follow (as I said), many guides want as; if just a noun follows (like a pro), like. -
can or may?Can expresses ability; may is the traditional choice for permission, though can for permission is standard in speech.Grammar Pairs
Kai can whistle any song after hearing it once.
May I turn in my history essay on Friday instead?
Memory hook: Can asks about ability (can you lift it?); may asks permission, as in the game Mother, May I? -
anyway or any way?Anyway means in any case; any way means any method (Is there any way to help?).One Word or Two
The movie had terrible reviews, but we watched it anyway.
Is there any way to fix a cracked phone screen at home?
Memory hook: If you could say any method or any path, write two words; anyway means in any case. -
awhile or a while?Traditionally, awhile modifies a verb (stay awhile); a while serves as a noun, often after a preposition (for a while).One Word or Two
After the long climb, we sat on a flat rock and rested awhile.
We waited for a while before the doors opened.
Memory hook: After a preposition (for, in, after), write two words: for a while. Alone after a verb, awhile means for a while.
Unlock the whole deck
You are studying a free 10-card sample. All 75 cards of Commonly Confused Words — Set 2, the other 3 Commonly Confused Words decks, and spaced-repetition scheduling are built into Willys. 14-day free trial, then $14.99 a year.
In Willys, tap Exam Library at the top of your Decks (or Browse Exam Library… under the + button), find the exam on its shelf or by search, tick it and tap Add.
More Commonly Confused Words decks
← All Commonly Confused Words decks, with the study guide and topic outline.
About these cards
Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.
Checked against:
- Usage checked against Merriam-Webster.com usage notes, The American Heritage Dictionary (5th edition, ahdictionary.com), the Oxford, Longman and Cambridge learner's dictionaries and standard American style guides; all explanations, examples and memory hooks are original.
- Pair selection is our own; no publisher's list is reproduced.
These are independent study notes written for Willys. They are not official exam material, may contain mistakes, and are no substitute for your course, your teacher or the exam owner's own publications. Found an error? Tell us — corrections ship as a new version of the deck.
Use of these pages is covered by our Terms of Use.