The English language can be tricky in part because there are multiple words that sound the same, so some people use them interchangeably, even though they have meaning-changing differences. Here are some examples of commonly confused word pairs and trios, as well as tricks to tell which option a writer should use.

Unfortunately, there’s no hard and fast rule about how to avoid using the incorrect word in these pairs. Many people—even professional writers—continue to confuse these words; the trick is to know where to look for an answer when you’re not sure which one to use. You could look up the word in a dictionary, or google the pair of words, which often takes you to an explanation of the difference.

• Accept/Except
  • Accept means “to receive.”
  • Except means “excluding.”
  • Examples:
    • Except for John, everyone accepted the compliments.
    • While accepting the trophy, the actress thanked everyone except her husband.
• Affect/Effect
  • Affect usually means “to have an effect on.”
  • Effect usually means “a result.”
  • Examples:
    • When the speaker was describing the Doppler effect, Mary’s ringing cell phone affected her peers’ concentration.
    • The disease, which affected everyone, had an especially terrible effect on the women.
    • Watch this Khan Academy video to learn more.
• Its/It’s
  • Its refers to something that belongs to someone or something.
  • It’s means “It is.”
  • Examples:
    • When the mouse said, “It’s raining,” it accidentally dropped its umbrella.
    • Its tiny little feet skitter downstairs because it’s morning.
• Their/There/They’re
  • Their refers to the objects belonging to a group of people.
  • There is a location, usually some distance from the speaker.
  • They’re is the shorter way to say “They are.”
  • Examples:
    • Over there, where they’re sitting, is where their coats belong.
    • Their trombones fell down over there, but they’re not picking them up.

• To/Two/Too
  • To will either be before a verb or an object, depending on how you’re using it.
    • My son and I are going to the playground to play basketball.
  • Two is the number between one and three.
  • Too means “also” or “excessively.”
  • Examples:
    • To get to work on time, set your alarm clock for two o’clock, too.
    • Two rabbits were too late for school to catch the bus, so they went back to bed.
• Where/Were/We’re
  • Where asks about the location of something.
  • Were is the past tense of are.
  • We’re means we are.
  • Examples:
    • Where are my keys?
    • They were on the counter.
    • We’re going to have to search for them.
•  Whose/Who’s
  • Whose asks to whom the object belongs.
  • Who’s is the short way to say “who is.”
  • Examples:
    • Whose jacket is that, and who’s picking it up?
    • Who’s the one responsible for this mess, and whose stuff is spread all over the place
• Your/You’re
  • Your refers to something belonging to you.
  • You’re is the short way to say “you are.”
  • Examples:
    • You’re the one who dropped your soup.
    • Your mom said you’re in a lot of trouble!

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