Difficult Word Pairs

Turkey

100

I shouldn't eat the (whole / hole) donut because I'm trying to (loose / lose) (weight / wait).

I shouldn't eat the WHOLE donut because I'm trying to LOSE WEIGHT.

200

We really must (complement / compliment) Erin on her choice of (close / clothes).

We really must COMPLIMENT Erin on her choice of CLOTHES.

300

Don't forget to (site / cite / sight) sources in your physics paper on the uncertainty (principal / principle).

Don't forget to CITE sources in your physics paper on the uncertainty PRINCIPLE.

400

On Halloween, Maya spilled her (desert / dessert) all over her (custom / costume)-made vampire (custom / costume).

On Halloween, Maya spilled her DESSERT all over her CUSTOM-made vampire COSTUME.

500

The (raining / reining / reigning) cross-country champion stumbled halfway (though / through / thought) the (coarse / course).

The REIGNING cross-country champion stumbled halfway THROUGH the COURSE.

Cranberry

100

We moved (forward / foreword) in line as we waited to (bored / board) the (plane / plain).

We moved FORWARD in line as we waited to BOARD the PLANE.

200

I (rote / wrote) a letter (too / to / two) my grandmother on the (stationary / stationery) I bought at the paper store.

I WROTE a letter TO my grandmother on the STATIONERY I bought at the paper store.

300

The city (council / counsel / consul) members voted their (conscience / conscious / conscientious) and repealed a ban on public displays of affection.

The city COUNCIL members voted their CONSCIENCE and repealed a ban on public displays of affection.

400

The (whether / weather) (vane / vein / vain) spun wildly in the wind.

The WEATHER VANE spun wildly in the wind.

500

I said good-(by / buy / bye) to my parents, walked (by / buy / bye) the old high school, and stopped at the grocery store to (by / buy / bye) some chocolate bars, marshmallows, and graham crackers.

I said good-BYE to my parents, walked BY the old high school, and stopped at the grocery store to BUY some chocolate bars, marshmallows, and graham crackers.

Stuffing

100

I walked (through / threw) town to (meat / meet) an old friend at the (diner / dinner) on Market Street.

I walked THROUGH town to MEET an old friend at the DINER on Market Street.

200

When (your / you're) finished with the construction paper, please (throw / through) the scraps into the (waist / waste) basket.

When YOU'RE finished with the construction paper, please THROW the scraps into the WASTE basket.

300

(Who's / Whose) (breath / breathe) smells so bad?

WHOSE BREATH smells so bad?

400

If the politicians in Congress can't agree any more (then / than) they did last year, we are sure to feel the (affects / effects) of the fiscal cliff.

If the politicians in Congress can't agree any more THAN they did last year, we are sure to feel the EFFECTS of the fiscal cliff.

500

Though there was nothing illegal about it, the judge (taught / thought) I demonstrated (poor / pour) (moral / morale) judgement when I (petaled / pedaled / peddled) second-hand books outside the funeral home.

Though there was nothing illegal about it, the judge THOUGHT I demonstrated POOR MORAL judgment when I PEDDLED second-hand books outside the funeral home.

Wine

100

Leslie, who manages all the (personal / personnel) on this floor, asked everyone to be (quiet / quite / quit) while they worked.

Leslie, who manages all the PERSONNEL on this floor, asked everyone to be QUIET while they worked.

200

As the (principal / principle) introduced the guest speaker, he said "This (mourning / morning) we are in the (presence / presents) of greatness."

As the PRINCIPAL introduced the guest speaker, he said, "This MORNING we are in the PRESENCE of greatness."

300

I always (advise / advice) my students to (chose / choose) classes that interest them.

I always ADVISE my students to CHOOSE classes that interest them.

400

The House of Representatives, meeting in the (capital / capitol) building, (past / passed) the legislation with a large majority.

The House of Representatives, meeting in the CAPITOL building, PASSED the legislation with a large majority.

500

After the family (emigrated / immigrated) to the United States, they tried hard to (loose / lose) their foreign accents.

After the family IMMIGRATED to the United States, they tried hard to LOSE their foreign accents.

Mashed Potatoes

100

The cashier gave me a (receipt / recipe) as I walked out with the final ingredients I needed to complete my grandmother's (receipt / recipe).

The cashier gave me a RECEIPT as I walked out with the final ingredients I needed to complete my grandmother's RECIPE.

200

The sous (chef / chief) pulled a bottle of (coarse / course) sea salt from the full (compliment / complement) of spices in the pantry.

The sous CHEF pulled a bottle of COARSE sea salt from the full COMPLEMENT of spices in the pantry.

300

I can't believe (were / we're / where) standing on what was once the battlefield at Gettysburg, (were / we're / where) thousands of soldiers lost (there / their) lives.

I can't believe WE'RE standing on what was once the battlefield at Gettysburg, WHERE thousands of soldiers lost THEIR lives.

400

The ear specialist gave the child an (oral / aural) exam.

The ear specialist gave the child an AURAL exam.

500

We had to walk (further / farther) down the road to find a street that cut (threw / through) to the other side of the block.

We had to walk FARTHER down the road to find a street that cut THROUGH to the other side of the block.