Sometimes one letter makes all the difference, helping you clearly communicate a decision you’ve thought about, instead giving people the impression you’re still wondering what to think with the word though. At other times, confusion comes when you’ve made a mistake in pronunciation, leaving your listener bewildered by your statement that you’re going back to the BUFF-it (buffet, “hit, jostle”) when you’re actually heading to the buh-FAY (buffet, a table covered with food) for more smoked salmon. Learn how to correctly use, spell, and pronounce these five word pairs, and you’ll keep confusion to a minimum. Remember to write out your own sample sentences to practice the words later.

allusion / illusion
Pronunciation: uh-LOO-zhun / ih-LYU-zhun
Definition: reference, hint / false image
Example: Helen reminded her students not to believe the magician’s illusions were real, making allusion to the work they had recently studied on the life of Harry Houdini.

complacent / complaisant
Pronunciation: kuhm-PLAY-suhnt / kuhm-PLAY-zehnt
Definition: self-satisfied, smug / willing, obedient
Example: The lion tamer appears to be very complacent about how complaisant his animals are, but I certainly wouldn’t want to be alone in their cage like that!

corporal / corporeal
Pronunciation: KOR-por-ull / kor-POR-ee-ull
Definition: military officer / having or relating to a physical body
Example: “The sergeant doesn’t believe in poltergeists,” announced the corporal. “There’s a corporeal prankster behind all of these so-called ghostly disturbances in camp lately.”

later / latter
Pronunciation: LAY-tur / LAH-tur
Definition: after a certain period of time / coming at or near the end (of a list)
Example: If I had to choose between weeding the garden and washing the dishes, I would definitely pick the latter, but in either case, I can’t help you now – but I promise I’ll be back later to pitch in.

respectfully / respectively
Pronunciation: reh-SPEKT-full-ee / reh-SPEK-tihv-lee
Definition: showing honor and deference / taken one by one
Example: She respectfully pointed out the professor’s error, noting that the two paintings were from the 18th and 15th centuries, respectively.

Cross-posted at the Ultimate Spelling blog.