Word Bloopers - Language Notes


Word bloopers are words that students, and people in general, usually find problematic. This is because they sound the same



LIE & LAY
Lie means to recline or rest.
  • I lie on my bed when I am reading a good book.
Lay means to place, or put, an object on something.
  • I lay the book on the bed.



RISE & RAISE
Rise means to get up.
  • I must rise for the singing of the national Anthem of my country. 

Raise means to lift something.
  • I raise the flag in the morning.



GOOD & WELL
Good is an adjective that means skillful, it describes a noun (person, place animal or thing)
  • eg. Mr. Smith is a good teacher.
Well tells how something is done
  • eg. Mr. Smith teaches well.



REAL & VERY
Real means genuine, it describes a noun (person, place, animal or thing).
  • eg. Regina has a real Gucci handbag.
Very means extremely, it is used beside an adjective (describing word).
  • eg. Regina is a very wealthy person.



WHO'S & WHOSE
Who's is the contraction for who is, therefore, an apostrophe replaces the missing word.
  • eg. Who's going to return the scissors?
Whose shows ownership or possession, it is the possessive of the word who.
  • eg. Whose scissor is on the table?



THEY'RE, THERE & THEIR
They're is the contraction for they are, therefore, an apostrophe replaces the missing word.
  • eg. They're going to the kite festival tomorrow.
There identifies the location of a noun (person, place, animal or thing)
  • eg. The girl is standing over there.
Their shows ownership or possession, it is the possessive of the word they.
  • eg. The girls used their tickets to enter the movie.



TOO & TWO
Too means also/ very/ besides/ excessive.
  • eg. Andre sat in the back seat too.
  • eg. Sandra speaks to her daughter too harshly.
Two is a number that tells how many.
  • eg. She has two siblings.



ALMOST & MOST
Almost means nearly.
  • eg. The student almost got an A.
Most means the greatest in number or quality.
  • eg. Most of the students got an A in the test.



INTO & IN
Into is a preposition that shows movement from outside to inside.
  • eg. Kamla and Andre went into the car.
In is a preposition that means that a person or thing is already there.
  • eg. Kamla and Andre are in the car.  



BESIDE & BESIDES
Beside means at the side of, or next to.
  • eg. Kamla sat beside me in the car.
Besides means in addition to, or extra.
  • eg. Besides Kamla, Pam also sat beside me in the car. 



BETWEEN & AMONG
Between is used when two people and/ or two things are being discussed.
  • I sat between Kamla and Andre in the car.
Among is used when more than two people, more than two things, and a crowd are being discussed.
  • I went among the throng of fans at the concert. 



IT'S & ITS
It's is the contraction for it is, therefore, an apostrophe replaces the missing word.
  • eg. It's inappropriate to steal office supplies.
Its shows ownership or possession, it is the possessive of the word it.
  • eg. Its staff, Macy's, do not steal office supplies.



THEN & THAN
Then means 'at that time.'
  • eg. We ate lunch and then watched a movie.
Than shows a comparison between two or more things.
  • eg. This movie is better than the one that we saw last week.



SURE & SURELY
Sure means to be positive, or certain.
  • eg. They were sure that they wanted to take the trip.
Surely means certainly. Surely is correct if you are able to replace it with certainly.
  • eg. Shaun is surely a good driver.


Contributor: Leisa Samuels-Thomas

Cox N, Pettegrew B, McBain R. Grammar and Composition bk.1. Columbus, Ohio: SRA / McGraw-Hill
Schachter, N, Schneiter Williams K. Basic English Review: English the Easy Way. (8th ed.) United States: Thompson South-Western, 2005.


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