Commonly Confused Words, Grades 9–10: List 10

Learn the correct meanings and usages of these commonly confused words for ninth- and tenth-grade students.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. instant
    occurring with no delay
    Even when our avatars were doing other things, we were sending e-mails and instant messages to each other. Ready Player One: A Novel
    To see more usage examples of "instant," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "instant" and "instance," click here.
  2. instance
    an occurrence of something
    And in a rare instance the Law Society was ordered to pay its own costs. Long Walk to Freedom
    To see more usage examples of "instance," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "instant" and "instance," click here.
  3. hale
    exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health
    This is why the people of the Protectorate are healthy and hale and shining. The Girl Who Drank the Moon
    To see more usage examples of "hale," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "hale" and "hail," click here.
  4. hail
    precipitation of ice pellets
    Outside my room, the rain and hail were smashing into our windows. Everything Sad Is Untrue
    To see more usage examples of "hail," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "hale" and "hail," click here.
  5. mean
    an average computed by adding some function of the numbers
    On the IQ scale, whose mean value is 100 points, girls who had had regular bedtimes scored between eight and nine points more than those who did not. Economist
    To see more usage examples of "mean," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "mean," "median" and "average," click here.
  6. median
    relating to the middle value of an ordered set of values
    The neighborhood’s median income was about $15,000 a year, well less than half the U.S. average. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
    To see more usage examples of "median," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "mean," "median" and "average," click here.
  7. average
    an intermediate scale value regarded as normal or usual
    It’s only eleven o’clock, but the average bedtime in Lanternwood is probably closer to eight thirty, which might explain why we don’t run into anyone. How to Disappear Completely
    To see more usage examples of "average," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "mean," "median" and "average," click here.
  8. peddle
    sell or offer for sale from place to place
    On weekends, the couple peddled their ice cream at street fairs.
    – New York Times
    To see more usage examples of "peddle," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "peddle," "pedal" and "petal," click here.
  9. pedal
    ride a bicycle
    He got back on his bike and started to pedal. The Missing Mitt (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #2)
    To see more usage examples of "pedal," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "peddle," "pedal" and "petal," click here.
  10. petal
    part of the perianth that is usually brightly colored
    Seven crouched down near one of the flowers and touched its petals softly. Witchlings
    To see more usage examples of "petal," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "peddle," "pedal" and "petal," click here.
  11. metaphor
    a figure of speech that suggests a non-literal similarity
    So grass is a metaphor for life, and for death, and for equality, and for connectedness, and for children, and for God, and for hope. Paper Towns
    To see more usage examples of "metaphor," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "metaphor" and "simile," click here.
  12. simile
    a figure of speech expressing a resemblance between things
    “It’s a simile. I didn’t say you were a goat, I said you smell like a goat. Didn’t you learn anything in English class?” Summer of the Mariposas
    To see more usage examples of "simile," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "metaphor" and "simile," click here.
  13. naval
    connected with an organization of military vessels
    On December 7, 1941, the Axis power Japan surprised the United States with an air attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor in the territory of Hawaii. A Thousand Sisters
    To see more usage examples of "naval," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "naval" and "navel," click here.
  14. navel
    a scar where the umbilical cord was attached
    “I’m going to grow a beard down to my navel.” Six of Crows
    To see more usage examples of "navel," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "naval" and "navel," click here.
  15. quote
    repeat a passage from
    Then, maybe because I’m English, I don’t know, he quoted Winston Churchill: ‘If you’re going through hell, keep going. ’ I'll Give You the Sun
    To see more usage examples of "quote," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "quote" and "quotation," click here.
  16. quotation
    a passage or expression that is cited
    The quote book happened to be turned to a page of Shakespeare quotations. The Fault in Our Stars
    To see more usage examples of "quotation," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "quote" and "quotation," click here.
  17. alternate
    do something in turns
    We’re in the air, and I alternate between closing my eyes and opening them. Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish
    To see more usage examples of "alternate," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "alternate" and "alternative," click here.
  18. alternative
    one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen
    I guess she felt she had no alternative but to trust them—what else could she do? How Dare the Sun Rise
    To see more usage examples of "alternative," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "alternate" and "alternative," click here.
  19. concurrent
    occurring or operating at the same time
    With a remote control in his hand, he watched all three concurrent news programs every night, raising the volume on any war coverage. Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam
    To see more usage examples of "concurrent," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "concurrent" and "consecutive," click here.
  20. consecutive
    one after the other
    Everyone was telling me I could make history by winning Worlds a third consecutive time. Courage to Soar
    To see more usage examples of "consecutive," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "concurrent" and "consecutive," click here.
Created on Wed Feb 28 16:22:49 EST 2024 (updated Mon Mar 04 09:34:12 EST 2024)

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