Here’s a list of all the troublesome pairs I’ve done (both ways round) in alphabetical order, to help you find them more easily.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Affect or effect
Among or amongst (see while or whilst)
Amongst or among (see whilst or while)
Amoral or immoral
Amount or number
Assume or presume
Assure, ensure or insure
back to top
B
Bare or bear
Bear or bare
Biannual or biennial
Biennial or biannual
Borrow or lend
Bought or brought
Brought or bought
Burglary or robbery
back to top
C
Can, may or might
Client or customer
Comparable or comparative
Comparative or comparable
Complement(ary) or compliment(ary)
Compliment(ary) or complement(ary)
Confound or confuse
Confuse or confound
Conserve or preserve
Continual or continuous
Continuous or continual
Councillor or counsellor
Counsellor or councillor
Cue or queue
Customer or client
back to top
D
Definite or definitive
Definitive or definite
Discreet or discrete
Discrete or discreet
Disinterested or uninterested
Dissatisfied or unsatisfied
Due to or owing to
back to top
E
Effect or affect
E.g. or i.e.
Elder or older
Eligible or illegible
En route or on route
Enquiry, inquiry or query
Ensure, insure or assure
back to top
F
Fewer or less
Flammable or inflammable
back to top
G
back to top
H
have or of
Hear! Hear! or Here! Here!
Here! Here! or Hear! Hear!
back to top
I
I or me
I.e. or e.g.
Illegal, illicit or unlawful
Illegible or eligible
Illicit, unlawful or illegal
Immoral or amoral
Inflammable or flammable
Inquiry, query or enquiry
Insure, assure or ensure
Interlude, interval or intermission
Intermission, interlude or interval
Interval, intermission or interlude
Invaluable or valuable
back to top
J
back to top
K
back to top
L
Lead or led
Led or lead
Lend or borrow
Less or fewer
Libel or slander
Licence or license
License or licence
Linage or lineage
Lineage or linage
Loose or lose
Lose or loose
back to top
M
Manx, minx or minks
May, might or can
Me or I
Might, can or may
Minks, minx or Manx
Minx, Manx or minks
back to top
N
Number or amount
back to top
O
Of or have
Of or off
Off or of
Older or elder
On route or en route
Owing to or due to
back to top
P
Peace or piece
Pedal or peddle
Peddle or pedal
Perspective or prospective
Piece or peace
Practice or practise
Practise or practice
Preserve or conserve
Presume or assume
Prescribe or proscribe
Principal or principle
Principle or principal
Proscribe or prescribe
Prospective or perspective
back to top
Q
Queue or cue
Query, enquiry or inquiry
back to top
R
Rain, rein or reign
Rebut or refute
Refute or rebut
Regretfully or regrettably
Regrettably or regretfully
Reign, rain or rein
Rein, reign or rain
Relation or relative
Relative or relation
Robbery or burglary
back to top
S
Slander or libel
Spelled or spelt
Spelt or spelled
Stationary or stationery
Stationery or stationary
back to top
T
That, which or who
Themself or themselves
Themselves or themself
There, they’re or their
Their, there or they’re
They’re, their or there
Till or until
back to top
U
Uninterested or disinterested
Unlawful, illegal or illicit
Unsatisfied or dissatisfied
Until or till
back to top
V
Valuable or invaluable
back to top
W
Wary or weary
Weary or wary
Which, who or that
While or whilst
Whilst or while
Who, that or which
Who or whom
Whom or who
Who’s or whose
Whose or who’s
Would have or would of
Would of or would have
back to top
X
back to top
Y
Your or you’re
You’re or your
Yours or your’s
Your’s or yours
back to top
Z
back to top
[...] Here it is! All the Troublesome Pairs, listed alphabetically, both (or all, in the case of trios) ways round. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. Leave a Comment [...]
Would you be able to compare persuade and convince please? Think it’s quite a subtle difference but hard to explain.
I can certainly add those to the list! Thanks for your suggestion!
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here, and here’s the index to them all! LD_AddCustomAttr("AdOpt", "1"); LD_AddCustomAttr("Origin", "other"); [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here, and here’s the index to them all! LD_AddCustomAttr("AdOpt", "1"); LD_AddCustomAttr("Origin", "other"); [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
Of and Off?
Just caught myself about to use one, when I probably should have used the other.
And not a pair, but the correct use of “either” and “Neither”? (So you can only have “either one thing or the other”, not “either A or B or C”?)
Who’s and Whose?
Both good ones, will add them to the list! Thank you!
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
Me again – lose and loose?
Will add it to the list! Keep them coming!
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] the success of my Troublesome Pairs series (still continuing, on a Friday), I decided to start a new series about single words which [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
Hi Liz,
I do so enjoy reading your troublesome pairs. I have one (well, a trio actually) for you – peek, peak and pique. I have so often read of someone’s interest being peeked! A pet hate – people who use “myself” when they mean “me” or “I” in the mistaken belief that it makes them sound more competent and official. It doesn’t.
I could spend ages ranting away like a grumpy old woman, but I’ll spare you. Keep up the good work!
Rosr
Ah – thanks for that one, it’s a good one! I’ll do that in a week or so. And yes, “myself” is annoying – I’m thinking of just starting a troublesome words series and will add that one in there. Thanks for your suggestions!
FUMOP.
Oh Lord, I can’t even spell my own name!!
Rose
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] You can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] You can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] can find more troublesome pairs here and the index to them all so far is here. Share this:EmailFacebookLinkedInDiggTwitterStumbleUponRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]