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10 Commonly Misused Words You Should Know
Knowing the precise meaning of words is important so that the words can be used properly within a sentence. Often similar sounding words are misused despite the fact that they have very different meanings. Parents should encourage a child to enhance their vocabulary by finding the meaning of new words from the dictionary so that these mistakes can be avoided. To start the process, see the list below of 10 common word pairs that school-age children often misuse.

To and Too

"To" and "too" are often misused; the first is a preposition, the second is an adverb. "To" means "with or toward". "Too" usually means either "also" or "an excess of".
Example: Sara was going to the cinema but there was too much traffic on the road.

Who's and Whose

"Who's" and "Whose" are two distinct words. The former is a contraction of "who is" and the latter is a possessive pronoun.
Example: Who's visiting the museum today? Whose paintings are shown in the museum?

There and Their

"There" refers to a specific place and is an adverb, as opposed to "their" which is a pronoun signifying possession.
Example: John and his friends used to play there. They usually played with their swords and toys.

Then and Than

While "than" signifies a comparison, "then" indicates an order or steps that must be adhered to.
Example: I want to eat now rather than have a shower. Once I have eaten, then I will take a shower.

Principal and Principle

"Principal" refers to an individual in a position of authority while "principle" refers to a code, norms or law.
Example: The principal of the school is very strict. She has high ethical and moral principles that must be followed by every student.

Lose and Loose

"Lose" (verb) means the inability to achieve something or hold onto something while "loose" (verb) means to make it less fixed. "Loose" (adjective) might refer to something not being properly arranged or attached.
Example: John was about to lose his pet cat yesterday. The cat was running loose around the neighborhood.

Lets and Let's

While "lets" (verb) means granting permission or allowing an action, "let's" is a contraction for the words "let us".
Example: The teacher lets the children play in the playground. Let's get our toys for playing time.

Hear and Here

"Hear" (verb) refers to hearing a sound while "here" (noun/adverb) means a location or a specific place where the person is located.
Example: John lives here. From his home he can hear the noise of the cars.

Famous and Infamous

"Famous" (adjective) refers to popularity or good reputation as opposed to "infamous" (adjective) which refers to a bad reputation.
Example: While John is known for his famous paintings, his brother is infamous for dealing in drugs and alcohol.

Farther and Further

"Farther" specifically refers to physical distance as opposed to "further" which indicates an extension of something.
Example: How much farther is his shop? How can I further my business for higher profitability?