1. Commonly Confused Words

2. Introduction
In the English language there are some words that are spelled differently but sound exactly the same, and there are some words that are spelled the same but are pronounced differently. Then, there are those words that do not share the same spelling or pronunciation but are often confused. These are your commonly confused words.

3. Introduction Homonyms Confusables Its / It’s Your / You’re
To / Two / Too
Lose / Loose
There / Their / They’re
Confusables
Belief and Relief
Life / Live
Where / Were
Been / Being
This / These
Everyday / Every day
Then / Than

4. It’s common for the cat to lick its claws.
Its and It’s
This is one of the most troublesome pairs because the possessive pronoun ITS does not carry an apostrophe as in: The cat’s claws.
Since this is a possessive pronoun, it may help to think of the S in ITS as already belonging to the word.
The apostrophe is used in the contraction IT’S (short for it is).
It’s common for the cat to lick its claws.

5. Your and You’re Again, this is a case of a possessive pronoun and
a contraction.
YOUR shows that something belongs to you.
YOU’RE is short for You are.
You’re wasting your time with this project.

6. To, Too, and Two TO TOO can mean also or indicate degree
preposition
Walk to the car (toward)
infinitive indicator
To skate
TOO can mean also or indicate degree
TWO is the number following one
The two girls wanted to go to the skating rink too, but
it was too late.

7. Lose and Loose With this pair, you have to distinguish between
the verb and the adjective
TO LOSE (v) is to be unable to find
Notice there is only one O in To and Lose
TOO LOOSE (adj) means it’s not tight or fastened enough
Notice there are two O’s in Too and Loose
To Lose a ring because it’s too loose is infuriating.

8. Their , They’re, and There
THEIR: (possessive pronoun)
Belonging to them
THEY’RE: (contraction) They are
THERE: (adv) At or in that place (primary def.)
They’re leaving their tired dog over there.

9. Who or whom? These often cause confusion.
It’s easier to remember which are
subject pronouns and which are
object pronouns.

10. Subject pronouns Who Whoever (think he/she)
Subject pronouns do the action.

11. Object pronouns Whom Whomever (think him, her)
Object pronouns receive the action of the verb.

12. Having trouble? Don’t know when to use a subject or an object pronoun?
Substitute he and him.
If the subject pronoun works in the sentence, use who or whoever.
If the object pronoun works better, then use whom or whomever.

13. Example (Who, Whom) is that child? Choices: Him is that child.
He is that child.
Therefore:
Who is that child.

14. Rearranging to make sense
In order to make this shortcut work for you, you may have to rearrange the subject and verb in a question.
(Who, Whom) are you calling?
You are calling he?
You are calling him?
Whom are you calling?

15. One last example Rearrange: The coach picks (whoever, whomever)
Incorrect: the coach picks he
Correct: the coach picks him
I’m sure that whomever the coach picks will
help our team.

16. One last thought …
Cannot remember which is a subject pronoun and which is an object pronoun?
Because he/she ends in a vowel, you know it goes with who/whoever (subject pronoun).
Because him/her ends in a consonant, you know it goes with whom/whomever (object pronoun).