English has billions of vocabulary and many of them sound similar. But you need to be careful because you might be confused over which word is supposed to be used. Here are the commonly confused English word pairs to help you understand them better!

1. desert vs. dessert

           Desert is a noun referring to a very large area covered with sand and is usually very hot. Desert can also be a verb that means “to leave a place” as in “he deserted the town” or  “to leave or withdraw from someone” as in “I heard he deserted a friend who was in trouble”. Although it is spelt the same, the pronunciation of desert as a noun and a verb is different. Make sure to check out your dictionary to check on how they sound.

           Meanwhile, dessert is sweet food eaten at the end of a meal. For example, “a rich chocolate dessert”

2. device vs. devise

           The device is a noun that refers to an object, machine or piece of equipment as in “electronic device”. while devise is a verb that means "to invent or plan something that is difficult or complicated," as in "devising a new method for converting sunlight into electricity."

3. eminent vs. imminent

           Eminent and imminent are both adjectives. Eminent means "successful, well-known, and respected," as in "an eminent physician."

           Imminent means "happening very soon," as in "their arrival is imminent."

4. loose vs. lose

           Loose is often used as an adjective referring to something not being tight or tightly fastened, attached, or held. For example, "a loose tooth," "a loose belt," " a loose coalition,". It also functions as a verb meaning “to release or untie an animal or a person” or “to make something less tight”.

           Lose is a verb with various meanings typically having to do with being unable to find, keep, or hold something, as in "I keep losing my keys,". It also means to fail at winning something as in “losing a game/election”.   

5. moral vs. morale

           A moral is both an adjective and a noun. Moral as a noun refers to a lesson learned from a story or an experience as in “moral of the story”. The adjective is used with a variety of meanings having to do with right or wrong behaviour, as in "moral issues/standards".

           Morale is a noun referring to the individual or group’s emotional condition such as enthusiasm and loyalty that they have for a particular task. For example, “the team’s morale is high”

6. quiet vs. quite

           Quiet can be used as an adjective, a verb, and a noun. As an adjective, it mostly describes things, people or condition that make little noise. For example, “a quiet person” and “everyone suddenly went quiet.”. As a verb, it means "to make or become calmer or less noisy," Meanwhile as a noun, it refers to the quality or state of being quiet or calm, as in "the quiet of the house at midnight."

           Quite functions as an adverb that often means “completely or entirely” as in “not quite finished” or “very” as in “quite tired”.

Source:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/commonly-confused-words-list

Pict source:

https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/2qkb225bsO2oddxb8A5kshKA2Tw=/1333x1000/smart/filters:no_upscale()/dessert-vs-desert-58f67cc45f9b581d593d3b7d.jpg