When I was in college, one day during my math class the teacher was explaining an equation. One of my classmates, an Arabic speaker, raised his hand and asked a question referring to the remainder in the equation as a “reminder.” This slight mispronunciation made our teacher smile and she told him that he was very funny. My classmate was confused because he didn’t understand what he had done.
There are some words in English that sound very similar, but have a different meaning. Even native speakers sometimes make mistakes when they spell some of these words. It’s important, however, to pronounce them in a correct way because we might introduce confusion otherwise.
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Six word pairs that have similar pronunciation but different meanings
Below are six pairs of words that often give nonnative speakers a hard time because of their similar or occasionally same pronunciation, but completely different meanings. I personally used to think twice before saying some of them out loud.
1. Effect vs. affect
Effect /əˈfɛkt/ is usually used as a noun. It is the change that comes as a consequence of an action. For instance, if you stay in the sun for several hours the effect will be your burned skin.
Example in a sentence:
Exercise has a positive effect on the body.
Affect /əˈfɛkt/ is usually used as a verb and it means to impact or change something or someone.
Example in a sentence:
Exercise will affect your body in a positive way.
As you can see in the examples above, you can use both words in a similar context. Make sure, however, to use each one of them in the correct way.
Although the first letters are different, these two words are pronounced the same way. That’s why even native speakers sometimes confuse them and make a mistake when they write them.
2. Suite vs. suit
A suite /swit/ is a number of connected rooms in a hotel. It’s larger than just a regular room and it usually has a separate bedroom and living room.
Example in a sentence:
I love this hotel. I stayed in a beautiful suite last time I was there.
A suit /sut/ is an outfit consisting of two or more matching parts – usually pants or a skirt combined with a jacket.
Example in a sentence:
I got a new job at a bank and I have to wear a suit to work every day now.
These two words might be confusing because they are pronounced quite differently. Suite /swit/ is pronounced exactly like sweet /swit/. Suit /sut/, on the other hand, has a different vowel – the high tense u /u/ – and it rhymes with boot /but/.
3. Costume vs. custom
This is yet another pair of words that baffles many nonnative speakers.
Costume /ˈkɑsˌtum/ is a set of clothes that are typical to a particular country or culture. People usually wear costumes during cultural celebrations. Actors can also wear costumes when they perform. Probably the most popular day when many people wear costumes is Halloween.
Example in a sentence:
Hey, do you remember who was the costume designer for this movie?
Custom /ˈkʌsˌtəm/ is a traditional way of behaving that is specific to a particular society, time, or place.
Examples in sentences:
I like the old Bulgarian custom of holding hands and dancing in a circle.
I always try to respect the customs of the country I travel to.
Although to many nonnative speakers these two words seem to be pronounced similarly, they actually sound quite different to native speakers. This is because of the difference in the vowels. Costume is pronounced as “kaa-stoom” /ˈkɑsˌtum/. The first vowel /ɑ/ is the same as in the word father /ˈfɑˌðɚ/, while the second one /u/ is the vowel that appears in the word food /fud/. Custom /ˈkʌsˌtəm/, on the other hand, has two completely different vowels. The first one /ʌ/ is the same vowel that is used in the word cup /kʌp/ and the second one is a schwa /ə/ – a reduced vowel that appears in most non-stressed syllables.
4. Receipt vs. recipe
These words also give many people a hard time because they look similar at first glance. But, as you’ve probably guessed by now, they differ in meaning and pronunciation.
Receipt /ɹəˈsit/ is the document that a person receives after paying for something. For example, when you go grocery shopping, the cashier gives you your receipt after you pay.
Example in a sentence:
Could you please email me the receipt for this purchase?
Recipe /ˈɹɛ.sə.pi/ is a set of instructions that you follow when you cook something new. For example, if you like the cake you had at your friend’s house, you can ask her for the recipe.
Example in a sentence:
This dish is delicious. Would you share the recipe with me?
What’s important to know about the pronunciation of these two words is that receipt /ɹəˈsit/ has two syllables while recipe /ˈɹɛ.sə.pi/ has three. The p in receipt is also silent and the proper pronunciation is “ruh-seet” /ɹəˈsit/. The vowel in the first syllable is a schwa /ə/ and the one in the second syllable is a tense i /i/ – the same one that appears in the word sheep /ʃip/. ‘Although the spelling in the beginning of the word recipeis the same, the vowel is pronounced differently. While re in receipt is pronounced with a schwa /ə/ (/ɹə/), the re in recipe is pronounced with the front middle vowel e /e/ (/ɹɛ/). However, we have a schwa /ə/ in the second syllable and a high tense i /i/ in the third syllable – “reh-suh-pee” /ˈɹɛ.sə.pi/.
5. Remainder vs. reminder
Remainder /ɹəˈmeɪndɚ/ is a part of something that is left over after the rest of the parts have been completed / consumed / executed, etc. It’s often used in mathematics when solving equations (the number left over after subtraction or integer division), but it’s definitely not limited to it. For example, if you haven’t finished eating your food in the restaurant, you can pack the remainder of it and take it home.
Example in a sentence:
I was in such a hurry that I gulped down the remainder of my coffee and left.
Reminder /ɹəˈmaɪn.dɚ/ is a thing that causes you to remember something. For example, you can set up a reminder for your Friday Speaking Club meeting in your calendar 😉.
Example in a sentence:
Hey, I’m just sending you a friendly reminder about the meeting today.
When it comes to pronunciation, these two words differ in only one sound in the second syllable. Remainder is pronounced with the diphthong “ei” /eɪ/ as in main /meɪn/ and reminder is pronounced also with a diphthong, but a different one – “ai” /aɪ/ as in mine /maɪn/. The rest of the vowels in both words are reduced to a schwa /ə/ (r-colored shwa /ɚ/ at the end).
6. Edition vs. addition
Edition /əˈdɪ.ʃən/ is a particular version of a published text. For example, you can have a magazine’s newest edition or a book’s second edition. It can also refer to a place. When it comes to a magazine, you can say that this is its Italian, French, or Russian edition.
Example in a sentence:
I love Vogue’s Japanese edition this month. It has great articles.
Addition /əˈdɪʃ.ən/ is something that is added to something else. It is also used in mathematics when you add one digit to another.
Example in a sentence:
This puppy will be a cute addition to our family.
As in the example of effect and affect, the pronunciation of addition and edition is identical. The first vowel in both words is reduced to a schwa /ə/ followed by “dish” /dɪʃ/ and another schwa.
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When you see a new word and try to memorize it, I advise you to always look up the pronunciation as well. Learning the correct pronunciation from the get-go will give you clarity and confidence.
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