Tricks to Learn Homonyms

Dear learners,

A word with the same spelling or sound as another, but the different meaning is known as a Homonym.
For Eg:
Quite (adv) means complete

Eg: He is quite opposite to me.
Quiet (adj) means calm
Eg: Keep quiet in the class.

Below are some commonly confused words with the definitions and examples of their use.

1. Abdication: Addiction

Abdication – A formal resignation of and renunciation of powers

For Eg: 

He himself abdicated from his position of Attorney General.
Addiction – A devotion to or an abnormally strong craving and dependence on something especially alcohol or narcotic drugs.
For Eg: 

Suman is still trying to recover from her drug addiction.

2. Abjure: Adjure

Abjure- to renounce or give up rights
For Eg: 

Gowthama Buddha renounced all earthly pleasures.
Adjure – To repudiate
For Eg: 

He abjured his life of bad eating and drinking habits.

3. Ablution: Absolution

Ablution – A washing of one’s body, washing, cleaning, and bathing etc.
For Eg:

Because of the heat, he felt the need for a daily ablution.
Absolution- Free from sin, guilt or blame
Absolution- A feeling from sin, guilt, or blame.
For Eg: 

The priest gave absolution to church members which always makes the parishioners feel a great deal better.

4. Abstain: Abstemious

Abstain-To refrain from something by one’s own choice
For Eg : 

They themselves abstained from elections.
Abstemious- restraint especially in the consumption of food or alcohol.
For Eg: 

Her mother was known as an abstemious eater and drinker who always had healthy meals for her family.

5. Abundant: Redundant

Abundant – plentiful
For Eg: 

Some parts of the world are abundant in natural resources.
Redundant – Surplus
For Eg: 

She edited the report and removed any redundant information or statements.

6. Accelerate: Exhilarate

Accelerate – to speed up
For Eg:

Resting will often accelerate a person’s recovery from illness.
Exhilarate –to cause someone to feel very happy
For Eg: 

Knowing that our children will have passed their exam will certainly exhilarate us.

7. Accent: Ascent: Assent

Accent –A stress on a syllable
For Eg: 

The word woman has its accent on the first syllable.
Ascent- A rising or climbing
For Eg: 

The ascent to the top of the mountain was very difficult.
Assent - to consent
For Eg: 

He was willing to assent to her request.

8. Dam: Damn

Dam – A body of water controlled by an obstruction of earth, concrete etc
For Eg: 

The dam was built to control the flow of river, unfortunately it is also endangering many building on the nearby land.
Damn – to doom
For Eg: 

Some people believe that morale misconduct by those who commit such acts will damn them to eternal punishment.

9. Deadly: Deathly

Deadly- extremely accurate and effective
For Eg: 

He had a deadly aim with his bow and arrow.
Deathly- close to death or dying
For Eg : 

He became deathly ill.

10. Decease: Disease

Decease – to die or death.
For Eg: 

The newspaper carried out an article clarifying the decease of the popular doctor.
Disease –A condition that impairs the full and healthy conditioning of an animal, plant, human being.
For Eg : 

The crops in the field appeared to be dying of a disease which was turning the leaves down.

Finally, I want to conclude that English is full of words, which sound the same or similar yet have different meanings and which can easily confuse one. If you are uncertain about the correct spelling of a particular word, the only way to be certain is to look the word up in a dictionary and check the definition so that you are using the correct word.

Thank you.