Words That Are Constantly Confused And Mildly Annoying

Depending where you look, English is a top 20 hardest language to learn chockfull of goofy words.

English—derived from and influenced by Germanic, Latin. French, Greek, and Old Norse—is full of surprises, contradictions, and words that sound similar but have completely different meanings.

Today, we’re tackling commonly confused words that trip people up so that you can sound smarter or less un-smart.

You're welcome.

Eminent vs. Imminent

Both words have an air of importance, but they’re as different as In-N-Out Burger and Wendy's.

Eminent means someone or something is distinguished, well-known, and respected. Think of a world-renowned scientist or a famous actor: Neil deGrasse Tyson is an eminent authority in astrophysics.
Imminent, on the other hand, means something is about to happen—often something dramatic or foreboding: A major asteroid collision is imminent! (Hopefully, that’s just an example.)

If an eminent scientist tells you an asteroid strike is imminent, it’s probably time to panic.

Hoard vs. Horde

These two words conjure up very different, though equally chaotic, images.

Hoard is a verb or noun that refers to accumulating or storing things, often excessively: Grandpa has a hoard of newspapers dating back to 1956. He doesn't throw away expired bottles of mustard either.
Horde refers to a large, often unruly group of people or creatures: A horde of Philadelphia Eagles fans descended upon innocent tailgaters, because...Eagles fans.

Ascribe vs. Subscribe

One involves assigning credit, and the other involves giving away your email address for the thousandth time or expressing agreement.

Ascribe means to attribute something to a particular cause or source: Historians ascribe the fall of the empire to economic instability.
Subscribe means to sign up for something, like a magazine or YouTube channel or to consent to: Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog. I subscribe to the best market practice that blogging generates engagement.

So, while you might ascribe your sudden vocabulary boost to reading this blog, I’d really appreciate it if you subscribed to more of my linguistic musings.

Etymology vs. Entomology

Etymology is the study of word origins: The etymology of ‘quarantine’ is actually quite interesting!
Entomology is the study of insects: The entomologist spent the afternoon classifying beetles.

If your child tells you they want to double major in etymology and entomology, stop paying for college.

There you go. You’re now smarter.

Put this knowledge to good use.

About the Author, David Telisman

I am a Writer and Content Creator, and I work with businesses to inspire their customers to buy from them. I believe that my clients deserve to feel proud of how their content marketing looks and what it says, and I deliver by providing expert copywriting and marketing solutions.

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