By remembering in which cases each is used, and especially the examples, you

wont be mixing up these two words anymore! Lear more on Quando Usar
Miss ou Lose.
Know vs. Meet
English learners also confuse these two words all the time.
Meet is used when you are introduced to someone for the first time, that is,
Nice to meet you. Know is something or someone that you are already
familiar with. Examples:
Even though Justin and I went to the University of Colorado, we didnt know
each other before; we met in Brazil.
I met my wife in Madrid. I already knew her brother for several years, and he
introduced us.
Bonus! Its useful to also learn the phrase get to know, which means that
you are in the process of becoming familiar with someone or something. For
example:
Belo Horizonte is a huge city, but I got to know my way around the city after
living there for a few weeks.
I met my girlfriend in high school, but we didnt get to know each other and
start dating until college.
Fun vs. Funny
These two are often confused because English learners wrongly interpret that funny is the adjective
form of fun. However, they are two different words with separate meanings.
Fun can be a noun or an adjective. It means in general something that makes you happy or something
that you enjoy. Funny describes something that is amusing and that makes you laugh. Examples:
The children have fun at the park.
Roller coasters are a lot of fun.
Chad is so funny; he always makes me laugh.
The new Hangover movie wasnt as funny as the first one.
Drive vs. Ride
These two words are often confusing for English learners and there isnt really a rule for when to use
each one, you just have to learn what things you ride, and what things you drive.
In General, you drive something that has four or more wheels, and you ride something that has less
than four wheels, no wheels, or a vehicle that youre not the pilot of (that is, public
transportation). Examples:
RIDE
a bicycle
a motorcycle
an animal (like a horse)
the bus
the subway/metro/underground
DRIVE
an ATV [all terrain vehicle]
a car
a tank
Have vs. Take
This is particularly a problem for Spanish speakers when talking about food and drinks. In English,
you do not say that you take a drink (or something to eat) with friends. In this case, have is the
correct word to use.
Concerning food and drink, the only time take is correct is when ordering. Although have is also
correct in this case, too. You do, however, take medicine. Examples:
Im going to have a beer with Trevor later
I like to have wine with lunch
Could you please take my bag for a second?
Ill take/have a coffee and scrambled eggs, please
Note: You can often substitute the verb drink instead of have when talking about refreshments, for
example:
Ill drink a coffee before we leave
I like to drink wine with lunch
I never drink alcohol before five.
Take Care vs. Be Careful
English learners often use take care when they really mean be careful. Take
care isa way to say goodbye. It is short for take care of yourself. Be Careful is
a command or a warning. Examples:
Have fun and take care on your trip to Brazil!
Be careful with the glasses! Theyre fragile.
Be careful! That car almost hit you.
The following five mistakes are often even made by native speakers. So dont
feel too bad if youve made these mistakes before, but try to be aware and to
not make them in the future.
Youre vs. Your
Youre contraction of you are
Your second person possessive
Read more about it on Erros de Ingls Cometidos Por Americanos.
Theyre vs. Their vs. There
Theyre contraction of they are
Their Third person possessive
There referring to a place thats not here
Learn more on Gramtica de Uso: there, theyre, their
Its vs. Its
Its contraction of it is
Its possessive form of it. This is confusing because usually the possessive
uses an apostrophe, but remember that this is not the case with it.
Learn more on: A Diferena entre Its e Its.
Two vs To vs Too
Two 2
To a preposition or part of a verb in the infinitive tense
Too expressing an excessive amount or another way to say also
Examples:
Two is better than one
Youre never too old to learn a second language
Im going to Sweden to learn Swedish, too
Whose vs. Whos
Whose showing possession
Whos contraction of who is
Examples:
Whose pen is this?
My neighbor, whose house is blue, is a great guy.
Whos your neighbor?
There are many more words that are easily confused in English, like the examples in this article.
They are different for each person depending on his or her native language.
So what can you do when you encounter confusing words like these?
The best way to overcome confusion is by learning words in context, which is often called
collocation. Rules are good for general tendencies, but we remember best when we give words
cultural context and meaning.
If you always try to translate words to their definition in your language, then of course youll be
confused! Words arent always used the same in English as they are in your language, even when
spelling is similar.
So, instead of translating, learn words in context. Learn words in the phrases theyre used. And if a
single word is throwing you off [confusing you], then try to look up the definition in an English
dictionary and understand what it means, rather than simply translating it.
If you enjoyed this article, then check out Real Life English, where we have many more texts like
this one.