Top Ten Confused Words [C-D]

Posted: 05 May 2015 09:22 PM PDT

The words in the following list represent misunderstanding of the words meanings and not simply an
inability to spell them correctly. This post covers words starting with the letters c and d (the a-b list is
here).
1. canvas / canvass
The OED and M-W both show the spelling canvas as a variant spelling of the verb to canvass, but
Chicago, AP, and Paul Brians (Common Errors in English Usage) all agree that the verb meaning to
survey is spelled with a double s. The spelling canvas is a noun signifying a heavy cloth.
2. clench / clinch
Although both words share their origin, in modern usage they are not interchangeable. You clench your
fist or teeth, but clinch a deal or a victory. In boxing, to clinch means to grapple at close quarters. As a
noun, clinch is used colloquially to mean an embrace.
3. compliment / complement
Both words may be used as either nouns or verbs. A compliment is a praising remark; a complement is
something that enhances or completes. To compliment is to praise; to complement is to complete.
4. conscience / conscious
Conscience is a noun that refers to the sense of right and wrong in an individual. Conscious is an adjective
that means aware of.
5. corporal / corporeal
Both words are adjectives that mean of the body, but in modern usage corporeal is used in philosophical
or theological discussions in which the animal body is compared to the spirit. For ordinary references to
the body, corporal is the usual word. For example, one might refer to the corporeal existence of Jesus,
but to corporal punishment.
6. denote / connote
To denote means to indicate. To connote means to imply or suggest. A squiggly red line under a
word in a corrected essay denotes a misspelled word. Words like Mother and home connote warmth and
comfort.
7. deserts / desserts
In the idiom to get ones just deserts, the word deserts is often misspelled as desserts. For other uses
and pronunciations of desert and dessert, see this post: Just Deserts vs Just Desserts.
8. discrepancy / disparity
A discrepancy is an inconsistency, for example, a discrepancy between a persons date of birth might exist
between different sources. A disparity is a lack of equality. A common topic of concern is the disparity
between the earnings of men and women.
9. disinterested / uninterested
Although the distinction is ignored by many speakers, style guides advise that uninterested should be
used to describe mere lack of interest, whereas disinterestedshould be reserved for use in the context of
neutrality. For example, some students are uninterested in schoolwork, whereas a third-party mediator
is disinterestedin the dispute being arbitrated.
10. discreet / discrete
Discreet means judicious or circumspect. A discreet friend can be trusted not to tell all he knows about
your private affairs. Discrete means distinct, separate, not connected. Its the opposite of continuous.
Charles Dickens published his novels in discrete parts that could later be fused as an uninterrupted whole.