CELPIP Hacks: Commonly Confused Words You Need to Get Right (Pt. 1)

There are many reasons why people misuse various English words. Some terms are confused for another due to their almost identical spelling. Others for their similar pronunciations. As a CELPIP taker, you can’t afford to mix up words no matter how alike they seem. Here’s why.

         ·         It will keep you from following the audio recordings in the listening exam.

         ·         It will limit your understanding of the texts in the reading exam.

         ·         It will mar the content and impact of your responses in the writing and speaking exams. 

So, build up your English vocabulary during your CELPIP preparation exam period. Below is a list of words that even native English speakers often misuse. Make sure you apply them correctly when you take the test.

Confusable	Definition	Sentence Example
Accept Except	(v.) to receive, allow into a group (conj. /v.) excluding	They accepted him with open arms. I got everything on the list except the milk.
Affect Effect	(v.) to make a difference to  n.) the outcome, to elicit a result	His failure to maximize his CELPIP training course affected his test performance. He failed to anticipate the effects of his choices.
Allusion Illusion	(n.) a reference, often indirect (n.) a false idea, something unreal or deceptive	Her speech contains allusions to an essay made by a famous author. The magician has mastered creating unforgettable illusions.
Breath Breathe	(n.) the lung’s intake and release of air (v.) to inhale and exhale	Stop panicking and take a deep breath. Follow my lead. Breathe in. Breathe out.
Cash Cache	(n.) money (m.) a secure storage place	The ATM ran out of cash. The miners found a cache of cash in one of the newly opened tunnels.
Complement Compliment	(v.) to complete something, to make something perfect (v.) to praise someone/something	You need some accessories to complement your outfit. He complimented Carl’s latest masterpiece.
Elicit Illicit	(v.) to draw forth, to evoke (adj.) illegal	His verbal jabs elicited no response. The police found illicit drugs hidden in his drawers.
Lose Loose	(v.) to mislay, to fail to win (adj.) not tight	He always loses when he goes up against Simon. Since I’ve lost a couple of pounds, most of my pants are now loose.
Pour Pore (over)	(v.) to flow, to cause something to flow (v.) to study something carefully	She poured the milk into the mixture. He pored over the textbook for hours.
Site Sight	(n.) a place (n.) the ability to see	We reached the testing site early. Don’t let them out of your sight.
Stationery Stationary	(n.) writing materials (adj.) not moving	He loved collecting stationery. The truck collided with a stationary van.

Make sure your word choice is always on-point. Master using these commonly confused terms during your CELPIP preparation exam period to raise your chances of test success!

References:

“Commonly Confused Words.” En Exford Dictionaries. Accessed September 18, 2018. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/usage/commonly-confused-words

“Commonly Confused Words.” Grammar Your Dictionary. Accessed September 18, 2018. http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/commonly-confused-words.html