There are a lot of generally misused words. These words usually have exactly similar spelling with different meaning (homograph), similar pronunciation with different spelling (homophone), or similar spelling and pronunciation with different meaning (homonym). They may cause trouble for either a novice or an advanced learner.
Here are some examples:
- Similar spelling but carrying different meaning (homograph) e.g. 'fair' (adj) may mean 'not excessive/ extreme' or 'very pleasing to the eyes' or 'lacking exceptional ability/ quality'.
- Similar pronunciation with different spelling (homophone) e.g. 'bear' and 'bare' (both are pronounced /behr/)
- Similar spelling and pronunciation with different meaning (homonym) e.g. 'fair' (adj), chest (noun) which may mean 'part of human torso' or 'a box with a lid', or 'furniture with drawers for keeping clothes'.
