Commonly confused words: the ones children mix up

stubborn or obstinate?

Stubborn can be a compliment. Obstinate never is.

cautious or prudent?

Cautious is about the danger in front of you. Prudent is about the one that has not arrived yet.

monotonous or tedious?

Monotonous is about sameness. Tedious is sameness that goes on too long.

hasty or rash?

Hasty is about speed. Rash is about ignoring what happens next.

nag or scold?

Nag is about repeating. Scold is about something that has already gone wrong.

bashful or timid?

Bashful people are embarrassed. Timid people are frightened.

durable or sturdy?

Durable is about time. Sturdy is about build.

eager or impatient?

Eager is looking forward with excitement. Impatient is being annoyed that you have to wait.

glare or scowl?

A glare is an angry stare at someone. A scowl is an angry face, whoever is looking.

flimsy or frail?

Flimsy describes things that are badly made. Frail describes living things that have grown weak.

forbid or prohibit?

Anyone in charge can forbid something. Prohibit is the official word for rules and laws.

flee or retreat?

Flee is running away in a panic. Retreat is stepping back, often by choice.

accurate or precise?

Accurate means right. Precise means right down to the last detail.

ample or sufficient?

Ample is more than enough. Sufficient is just enough.

haughty or smug?

Haughty looks down on others. Smug looks pleased with itself.

ancient or antique?

Antique is old and valued. Ancient is very, very old.

embellish or exaggerate?

Exaggerate makes things bigger than they were. Embellish adds things that were not there.

gleam or glisten?

Glisten is the shine of something wet. Gleam is the shine of something clean or polished.

vast or infinite?

Vast is huge but has an end somewhere. Infinite has no end at all.

boast or swagger?

You boast with your words. You swagger with your walk.

meddle or tamper?

You meddle in other people's business. You tamper with things.

quarrel or feud?

A quarrel is one angry argument. A feud is a bitter quarrel that goes on and on.

flinch or cringe?

A flinch is a quick jerk, over in a moment. A cringe is a squirm that lingers, usually from embarrassment.

genuine or sincere?

Sincere is only about people meaning what they say or feel. Genuine can describe things as well.

prompt or punctual?

Punctual is about keeping to a set time. Prompt is about acting quickly, with no delay.

complex or intricate?

Complex is about being hard to work out. Intricate is about lots of small, fine detail.

deceive or betray?

Deceiving is tricking someone into believing something untrue. Betraying is breaking the trust of someone who relied on you.

baffled or bemused?

Baffled is completely stumped. Bemused is puzzled and unsure, and it has nothing to do with amused.

flawless or immaculate?

Flawless means no mistakes or faults. Immaculate means perfectly clean and tidy.

thrifty or economical?

Thrifty describes a person who is careful with money. Economical usually describes things and ways of doing things that do not waste.

interfere or intervene?

Intervene is stepping in to help. Interfere is getting involved where you are not wanted.

gullible or naive?

Naive is trusting because you have not learned otherwise yet. Gullible is being easy to fool.

sceptical or wary?

Sceptical asks: is this true? Wary asks: could this hurt me?

hardy or resilient?

Hardy is about getting through hard conditions. Resilient is about bouncing back afterwards.

crafty or ingenious?

Ingenious is cleverness you admire. Crafty is cleverness used to trick someone.

restore or revive?

Restore brings back how something was. Revive brings back life or energy.

blunt or curt?

Blunt is about honesty. Curt is about shortness.

divulge or reveal?

Divulge is only ever telling a secret. Reveal can be telling or showing.

din or hubbub?

Hubbub is made of voices. Din can be made of anything, and it is always unpleasant.

barren or desolate?

Barren is about nothing growing. Desolate is about loneliness and emptiness.

plunder or ransack?

Plunder is about taking. Ransack is about searching and making a mess.

listless or weary?

Weary is tiredness you have earned. Listless is flatness, with no energy or interest.

dread or foreboding?

Dread is fear of something you know is coming. Foreboding is a feeling that something bad is coming, even when you cannot say what.

derelict or dilapidated?

Derelict means abandoned. Dilapidated means badly looked after, whether or not anyone still uses it.

remote or secluded?

Remote is about being far away. Secluded is about being hidden away, and that can be just round the corner.

dawdle or procrastinate?

Dawdling is doing it slowly. Procrastinating is putting off starting.

belligerent or hostile?

Hostile means unfriendly and ready to fight. Belligerent means eager to fight, and going looking for it.

bland or insipid?

Bland is not always a complaint. Insipid always is.

extravagant or ostentatious?

Extravagant is about how much is spent. Ostentatious is about how much it is shown off.

constant or incessant?

Constant can be a good thing. Incessant is almost always a complaint.

appease or soothe?

Appease calms someone by giving in. Soothe calms someone by comforting them.

lure or tantalise?

Lure tempts someone to come closer. Tantalise teases them with something just out of reach.

furtive or sly?

Furtive is about hiding what you do. Sly is about being clever at tricking others.

boisterous or rowdy?

Boisterous is usually high spirits. Rowdy is when the noise has turned into trouble.

glum or morose?

Glum is quietly sad. Morose is sad and in a bad mood.

frugal or mean?

Mean is about not wanting to give. Frugal is about not wanting to waste.

benevolent or kind?

Kind is how someone treats you. Benevolent is setting out to do good for people generally.

diligent or clever?

Clever is about how quickly you get it. Diligent is about how carefully you work at it.

arrogant or confident?

Confident is about how you feel about yourself. Arrogant needs somebody to look down on.

inevitable or likely?

Likely leaves room for it not to happen. Inevitable leaves none.

reluctant or scared?

Scared is about fear. Reluctant is simply not wanting to.