PSAT: Commonly Confused Words: List 1

Learn the correct meanings and usages of these commonly confused words you may encounter on the PSAT exam.
10 words 415 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. anecdote
    short account of an incident
    People made up jokes and anecdotes about him that were the talk of the town. The House of the Spirits: A Novel
    To see more usage examples of "anecdote," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "anecdote" and "antidote," click here.
  2. antidote
    a remedy that stops or controls the effects of a poison
    He skimmed over the other passages, looking for some information about an antidote to treat the poison. Beasts of Prey
    To see more usage examples of "antidote," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "anecdote" and "antidote," click here.
  3. canvas
    a piece of canvas cloth prepared as the surface for a painting
    I paint and paint until I fill up almost every available space on the canvas. A Mango-Shaped Space
    To see more usage examples of "canvas," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "canvas" and "canvass," click here.
  4. canvass
    get opinions by asking specific questions
    Together they canvassed the sidewalk outside their building on 141st Street, equipped with clipboards and pens. The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
    To see more usage examples of "canvass," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "canvas" and "canvass," click here.
  5. faint
    lacking clarity, brightness, or loudness
    But it was a nicer sound than that, a more musical tone: only so faint that you could hardly hear it. The Magician's Nephew
    To see more usage examples of "faint," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "faint" and "feint," click here.
  6. feint
    any distracting or deceptive maneuver
    I got close enough to strike, tried to fake him out with a feint, but my blow was knocked aside. The Lightning Thief
    To see more usage examples of "feint," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "faint" and "feint," click here.
  7. imply
    express or state indirectly
    She closes my file and puts it aside, perhaps a gesture to imply our conversation has just become informal and off the record. Challenger Deep
    To see more usage examples of "imply," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "imply" and "infer," click here.
  8. infer
    conclude by reasoning
    For my science project, I’m going to make a model of the moon’s surface and perform an experiment to infer how the moon’s impact craters were formed. Shine!
    To see more usage examples of "infer," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "imply" and "infer," click here.
  9. complement
    make perfect or supply what is wanting
    They are so different, but their differences, when they are on the same path, complement each other, fill in spaces. Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers
    To see more usage examples of "complement," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "complement" and "compliment," click here.
  10. compliment
    say something to someone that expresses praise
    “You’re a good storyteller,” I complimented him, still staring into the waves. Twilight
    To see more usage examples of "compliment," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "complement" and "compliment," click here.
Created on Thu Jun 05 11:26:14 EDT 2025 (updated Thu Jun 05 11:26:44 EDT 2025)

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