United States
Hong KongCommonly confused word pairs
Section 82 lists "commonly confused words, misused words, and phrases" as a skill on subtest 826. The list is finite, which makes this the highest-yield hour on the vocabulary competency. Most pairs separate on part of speech, and a two-second substitution test settles the ones that do not.
This is the one part of the subtest where memorization actually works, and it is worth doing properly because the payoff is immediate.
The pairs that separate on part of speech
| Pair | How they split | Test |
|---|---|---|
| affect / effect | verb / noun | Can you put the in front of it? Then effect |
| advice / advise | noun / verb | Ends in -ise, it is the doing word |
| principal / principle | person or main / rule | The principal is your pal, or the main thing |
| complement / compliment | completes / praises | Complement has an e, like complete |
| stationary / stationery | not moving / paper | Stationery has an e, like envelope |
| council / counsel | a body / advice or to advise | Counsel counsels |
Affect has a noun sense in psychology and effect has a verb sense meaning to bring about. Both are real. Neither is likely on a 30-question subtest, and if you see "effect a change" it is being used correctly.
The three that need a substitution
- its / it’s: expand to it is. If the sentence still works, use the apostrophe. Every other time, no apostrophe.
- their / there / they’re: expand to they are first, then ask whether it is a place or a possession.
- your / you’re: expand to you are.
All three follow the same logic, and it is the opposite of what people expect: the possessive form is the one without the apostrophe. Nouns take apostrophes for possession. Pronouns do not.
The prepositional trio
- among (three or more) versus between (two)
- fewer (countable) versus less (uncountable)
- amount (uncountable) versus number (countable)
Fewer students, less time. Number of students, amount of time. The rule is whether you could count the noun, and it holds well enough for a test item every time.
Choose the sentence that uses every word correctly.
- The principle asked for less absences and offered advise to the parents.
- The principal asked for fewer absences and offered advice to the parents.
- The principal asked for less absences and offered advice to the parents.
- The principle asked for fewer absences and offered advise to the parents.
Pairs a Florida education context makes likely
The stems on this test are set in schools and districts, so a handful of pairs are more likely than a generic list would suggest.
- principal / principle, for obvious reasons
- assure / ensure / insure
- imply / infer, which also appears on the Reading subtest
- accept / except
- affect / effect, in the context of policy and outcomes
Imply and infer are worth extra attention because the Reading competencies are full of the word inference. The writer implies. The reader infers. Getting that backwards costs you on two subtests.
What we would actually do
Write the pairs on cards, test yourself once, then leave it for three days and test again. Do not re-read the list. Recall is what transfers to a timed item and recognition is not, and this subtest runs at about 1.33 minutes a question on our division of the published figures.
The concession: we have no way of knowing which pairs FLDOE uses. The Test Information Guides that would show you sample items are on the testing vendor's site, they are its copyright, and we neither hold them nor reproduce them. The list above is built from the rule's wording and from what an education-set stem makes plausible.
Common questions
How do I remember affect and effect?
Affect is usually the verb and effect is usually the noun. Try putting the in front of the word: "the effect" works and "the affect" does not in ordinary use. Both words have a rarer second sense, but the part-of-speech split covers almost every test item.
When do I use fewer instead of less?
Use fewer for things you can count and less for things you cannot. Fewer absences, less time. The same split governs number and amount: number of students, amount of funding. Countability is the only question you need to ask.
Why does its have no apostrophe?
Because it is a pronoun, and pronouns form possessives without apostrophes: his, hers, ours, theirs, its. The apostrophe in it’s marks a contraction of it is. Expanding the word is the fastest check under time pressure.
What is the difference between imply and infer?
The writer or speaker implies, meaning they suggest something without stating it. The reader or listener infers, meaning they draw the conclusion. This pair matters on both the English Language Skills subtest and the Reading subtest, which is built around inference.