i.e. or e.g
i.e. = "in other words"; e.g. = "for example"
affect or effect
affect is a verb; effect is a noun
into or in
into implies movement; in does not
fewer or less
fewer = countable; less = uncountable
between or among
between implies separation; among implies a group
evidences
evidence is uncountable and always without "s"
compliment or complement
compliment = praise; complement = make something complete
insure or ensure
insure = protect against some risk; ensure = make sure
then or than
then implies time; than implies comparison
loose or lose
loose = not tight; lose = fail
peak or peek
peak = top; peek = glance
breath or breathe
breath = noun; breathe = verb
lead or led
lead = present; led = past; lead = noun (metal)
during or within
during implies duration; within implies a deadline
research or researches
research is uncountable
able or capable
able implies possibility; capable implies internal ability or skills
allow or enable
allow implies permission or allocation; enable implies giving power or means to do something
advice or advise
advice is a noun; advise is a verb
criteria or criterion
criteria is plural; criterion is singular
phenomena or phenomenon
phenomena is plural; phenomenon is singular
lie or lay
to lie = to place yourself; to lay = to place something
accept or except
to accept = to receive; except = to exclude
which or that
which = non-restrictive relative clause; that = restrictive relative clause
beside or besides
beside = next to; besides = in addition to (also)
bold or bald
bold = courageous; bald = without hair
capital or capitol
Capital = city; Capitol = building
by or until
by implies a deadline; until implies a state or period (completion is not required)
accessary or accessory
Accessary = accomplice (partner); Accessory = decoration
carrier or career
carrier = someone who carries something; career is the job progress
council or counsel
counsel = advise; council = group of people
any one or anyone
any one = any of a particular group; anyone = any person at all
any or some
any = negative association; some = positive association
reduce or decrease
reduce something (object); something decreases
rise or raise
to rise = to get up; to raise something (object is required)
discreet or discrete
discreet = careful; discrete = individual (separate)
decent or descent
decent = respectable; descent = process of going down
drought or draught
drought = dryness; draught = draft
enquire or inquire
to enquire = to ask; to inquire = to make a formal investigation
expand or expend
to expand = to widen; to expend = to spend
make or do
do implies actions, obligations, repetition; make implies creation of something (focus on results)
hard or hardly
hard = difficult; hardly = unlikely
later or latter
later = sometime in the future; latter = previous (the last one of a sequence)
message or massage
message = letter (email, text); massage = physical procedure
moral or morale
moral = "lesson learned" or ethical; morale = mental state
employer or employee
employer = the one who gives a job; employee = the one who takes a job
personal or personnel
personal = individual; personnel = staff
principle or principal
principle = rule; principal = main;
proceed or precede
to proceed = to continue; to precede = to come before something
some time or sometime
some time = a certain moment; sometime = indefinite time
wander or wonder
to wander = to roam (stray); wonder = miracle or to be interested in something
cite or site
to cite = to quote; site = place
loathe or loath
to loathe = to hate; loath = unwilling
waive or wave
to waive = to surrender something to someone; to wave = to make a hand motion