per request of a rather elusive usergroup. This is a list that I'm starting using my Webster's Dictionary, thus, it will all be Americanized, with some of my own added in. Anyone want to do a British/Australian/Canadian/anything else version? If not, send me the onfo and I'll get it started. More coming! If you have anything you want me to add to this list, email/PM it to me, and I will if it's appropiate.
Accept/except - Accept is a verb meaning "to receive". Except is usually a preposition or a conjuction meaning "other than" or "but for". When except is used as a verb, it means "to leave out".
accidentally/accidently - The correct adverb is accidentally from the root word accidental, not accident.
adoptive/adopted/adapt - adoptive referes to the parent, adopted referes to the child. Adapted (adapt) means "to adjust of modify oneself to different conditions", in a nutshell.
adverse/averse - both words are adjectives, and both mean "opposed" or "hostile". Averse, however, is used to describe a subject's opposition to something (The minister was averse to the new trends developing in the community), whereas adverse describes something opposed to the subject )The adverse comments affected his self-esteem).
affect/effect - Most often, affect is a is a verb, meaning "to influence", and effect is a noun meaning "the result of an action". Affect is also used as a noun in psychology and psychiatry to mean "emotion", while effect is also used as a verb meaning "to bring about".
aggravate/annoy - In informal speech and writing, aggravate can be used as a synonym for annoy. However, in formal discourse the words mean different things and should not be used in this way: Her back condition was aggravated by lifting the heavy child, but the child's crying annoyed her more than the pain.
agree to/agree with - agree to means "to consent to, to accept" (usually a plan or idea). Agree with means "to be in accord with" (usually a person or group).
aisle/isle - Aisle means "a passage way between sections of seats", isle means "island".
all ready/already - All ready, a pronoun and an adjective, means "entirely prepared", already, an adverb, means "so soon" or "previously".
allusion/illusion - an allusion is a reference or hint, an illusion is a deceptive appearance.
a lot/alot/allot - A lot is always written as two words, and is used informally to mean "many". Allot is a verb that means "to divide, to set aside". Alot is not a word.
altogether/all together - Altogether means "co,pletely" or "totally", all together means "all at one time" or "gathered together"
alude/elude - both words are verbs. allude means "to mention breifly or accidently", elude means "to avoid, escape"
altar/alter - Altar is a noun meaning" a sacred place or platform". Alter is a verb meaning "to make different; to change".
amount/number - Amount refers to quantity that cannot be counted. Number, in contrast, refers to things that can be counted. Some concepts, like time, can use either, depending on how the elements are identified in the specific sentence.
ante-/anti- - the prefix ante- means "before": the prefix anti- means against. Anti- takes a hyphen before an "i" or a capital letter.
anxious/eager - Traditionally, anxious means "nervous" or "worried" and consequently describes negative feelings. In addition, it is usually followed by the word "about". Eager means "looking forward" or "anticipating enthusiastically" and consequently describes positive feelings. It is usually followed by "to". Today, however, it is standard usage for anxious to mean "eager".
