Accurate and precise language is essential for communicating a writer’s intended meaning. There is a risk, if you do not choose your words carefully, that your reader will be forced to pause and decipher your meaning or that your word message will be conveyed inaccurately or lost entirely. Either way, your writing loses credibility, and in the latter case, you may end up confusing or misinforming a reader.

Imagine, for example, if I had used “later” in the previous sentence rather than “latter.” You likely would have understood my meaning from the context, but you’d have less confidence in my message (not to mention my writing skills) because I used the incorrect word.

It is always my intention in written communication to be as precise and accurate as possible. Communicating exactly the message I intend becomes even more critical when writing for a client, and their credibility rests on my words.

I often find myself reaching for guidance to clarify or confirm the best word for a particular sentence, and based on a very informal survey, so do my teammates. Below are some of our most commonly confusing combos.

 

1. Among or between

The rule of thumb is that “between” refers to two items, while “among” is appropriate when referring to more than two parties. However, AP Style outlines an exception indicating that “between is the correct word when expressing the relationships of three or more items considered one pair at a time.” This exception would come into play, for example, if describing the rivalries between the Seahawks, the 49ers and the Cowboys.

 

2. Capitol or capital

While the word “capital” can have many meanings, from an accumulation of wealth or a good idea to an uppercase letter or a city, “capitol” only refers to the building in which a legislature operates. Furthermore, AP Style calls for capital letters when referring to the U.S. Capitol building in Washington or the respective state capitols, such as the Virginia Capitol in Richmond.

 

3. Complement or compliment

If I find myself questioning which of these words I should use in a sentence, it helps if I focus on the similarity of the word “complement” to its meaning; to complete or perfect something. “Compliment,” on the other hand, is a form of flattery or praise. It would be accurate to say, for example, that the diners gave the sommelier several compliments for the perfect recommendation she made of red wine to complement their delicious meal.

 

4. Continual or continuous

Both these words refer to frequency, but “continuous” (or continuously) describes an action that happens without ceasing, while “continual” (or continually) refers to a recurring act that occurs frequently or regularly. The key to distinguishing between these two-word families is to determine if the action ever stopped. For example, the heart beats continuously while storms could continually batter a city during a heavy hurricane season.

 

5. Contrasted to or contrasted with

AP Style guidelines state that “contrasted to” should be used when the intention is to indicate that two items “have opposite characteristics,” while “contrasted with” should be used when illustrating similarities and differences among two or more things. Therefore, it is accurate to contrast the sun’s brightness to that of the moon, whereas you’d contrast the quality of summer light with those of the other seasons.

 

6. Historic or historical

Though these two words are similar in meaning, when used incorrectly, they can entirely change the connotation of a sentence.

You should reserve the use of “historic” for describing people, places or events that hold a prominent place in history. While “historic” describes something significant in history, “historical” identifies something from an earlier time. For example, a person would use historical documents to learn how participants felt about their involvement in signing a historic peace treaty.

 

7. Imply or infer

The best way to distinguish between these two often confused words is to remember that one conveys a message while the other describes that a message is received. Whey you imply, you offer a hint without directly stating what you mean, while inference is a conclusion. A writer who uses imprecise language, for example, may imply an unintended meaning, and readers may infer that the writer’s poor word choice suggests a lack of understanding of the subject matter.    

 

8. Misinformation or disinformation

Particularly culturally relevant lately, the distinction between these two words relies on intent. As an article earlier this year from Business Insider clarified, “misinformation” is an overall description of “false or out-of-context information that is presented as fact regardless of an intent to deceive.” The article continued, “disinformation is a type of misinformation that is intentionally false and intended to deceive or mislead.” Sharing a rumor that your favorite pizzeria is closing before finding out that information is false is an example of misinformation. If a rival pizza shop owner shared the same false information, knowing it was incorrect, that same news would be considered disinformation.

 

9. Myriad or myriad of

The Oxford English Dictionary defines myriad as both an adjective, meaning countless or great in number, and a noun, defined as many items. It is technically correct to use “myriad of” when using myriad as a noun. However, AP Style designates the word as an adjective. Therefore, it is accurate to say that there are myriad words in the English language that are confusing.

 

10. Systemic or systematic

Systematic describes how an action is completed based on a system or in an organized manner. Systemic refers to something that happens inside a system or within the system. For example, if every child at daycare has head lice, it is a systemic problem. In contrast, to describe how the infestation spread, one would say that it progressed systematically from classroom to classroom.

There are many examples of tricky word pairs, so if you find yourself uncertain about which word to use, Grammarly.com or the AP Stylebook are helpful resources. If specific terms regularly confuse you, let us know in the comments.

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