There are a number of words that can cause problems for students learning English. In today’s blog, we have included some common ones which at some time or other causes difficulties. Below we will include meanings, some phonemes for pronunciation and examples of use. This has been done alphabetically to make it easier to find the words you would like help with. If you can’t find a word that confuses you, why not send us a message and we will try to provide some help.
A
advice /ədˈvaɪs/ – (noun) an opinion that someone offers – ‘I am not the person you need to speak to for advice’
advise /ədˈvaɪz/ – (verb) an opinion that someone offers – ‘They will advise their client to withdraw the claim’
affect /əˈfekt/ – (verb) to have an influence on something or someone – ‘No doubt the poor economy will affect the job market’
all together – (determiner) all in one place, all at once – ”If people stuck together the world would be a better please to live in
altogether – (adverb) completely – ‘Altogether the whole event was a waste of time’
C
celebrate – (verb) to take part in enjoyable activity to show that something is important – ‘Tonight we will celebrate your birthday’
commemorate – (verb) to remember and give respect through a ceremony or special structure – ‘This month we will commemorate the death of one of the greatest racing drivers of all time’
D
desert /ˈdezət/ – (noun) an area covered with sand and rocks where the climate has little rain and plants – ‘ The largest desert on the planet is the Sahara’
dessert /dɪˈzɜːt/ – (noun) a sweet food eaten after a meal – ‘Increasingly there are more and more vegan options for dessert; even ice cream and yogurt’
E
effect /ɪˈfekt/ – (noun) result of influence (confused with affect) – ‘The long term effect of practising English on a daily basis is that your fluency will improve’
L
live /lɪv/ – (verb) to have life or have a home – ‘I used to live in Brazil where the there are many beautiful beaches’
live /laɪv/ – (adjective) when an event happens at the simultaneous time as being watched – ‘I am looking forward to watching watching the match live’
T
though /ðəʊ/ – (conjunction) ‘despite the fact that’ – ‘Though I was born in London, I consider myself more British than English’
thought /θɔːt/ – (noun) past simple and participle of think – ‘Thankfully they thought that diplomacy was the best option’
through /θruː/ – (preposition) from one end or side to the other – ‘To get to the shopping centre, you will need to drive through the centre of the city and go through the tunnel’
tough /tʌf/ – (adjective) strong – ‘The exam was tough, many people were not able to pass first time’
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