Most Confusing English Words with Exercise: Part 11

Pore & Pour

Pore

Meaning: A minute opening in a surface, especially the skin.
Example: Skin cleansing products help remove dirt and germs from the skin surface and pores.

Pour

Meaning: Prepare and serve a drink.
Example: He is pouring sodas.

SCENE & SEEN

SCENE

Meaning: A View or picture.
Example: This photograph portrays the scene outside a house.

SEEN

Meaning: Past participle of see
Example: He was seen in Delhi.

WAVE & WAIVE

WAVE

Meaning: Move one's hand to and fro in greeting or as a signal.
Example: He waved to me from the train.

WAIVE

Meaning: Refrain from paying a fee or following a rule.
Example: Her tuition fees would be waived.

WINE & WHINE

WINE

Meaning: An alcoholic drink.
Example: He opened a bottle of wine.

WHINE

Meaning: A long, high-pitched complaining cry.
Example: He begins speaking in a high-pitched whine.

WROTE & ROTE

WROTE

Meaning: Past tense of write.
Example: He wrote a letter to her.

ROTE

Meaning: Habitual repetition of something to be learned.
Example: I learned many poems by rote in childhood.

WAIL & WHALE

WAIL

Meaning: A prolonged high-pitched cry of pain, grief, or anger.
Example: She let out a high-pitched wail.

WHALE

Meaning: A very large marine mammal.
Example: Whales are common around the islands.

Toe & Tow

Toe

Meaning: Any of the five digits at the end of the human foot.
Example: He cut his big toe on a sharp stone.

Tow

Meaning: Pull another vehicle with a rope, chain, or tow bar.
Example: Aman called to tow the car away.

RAIN & REIGN

RAIN

Meaning: Shower or rainfall.
Example: The rain had not stopped for days.

REIGN

Meaning: Hold royal office; rule as a monarch.
Example: Queen Elizabeth reigns over the UK.

RACK & WRACK

RACK

Meaning: A framework, typically with bars or hooks for holding or storing things.
Example: This is a letter rack.

WRACK

Meaning: A mass of high, thick, fast-moving cloud.
Example: There was a thin moon, a wrack of a cloud.

YOUR & YOU’RE

YOUR

Meaning: Belonging to or associated with the person or people.
Example: What is your name?

YOU’RE

Meaning: You are.
Example: You're a workaholic.

Test Your Memory

1. Stomata are minute ……in the surface of leaves. (pore/pour)
2. He was ……a drink for someone. (pore/pour)
3. It portrays a beach ……outside the building. (scene/seen)
4. They were ……doing some mischievous acts. (scene/seen)
5. I ……him but he did not respond. (Wave/waive)
6. I requested the librarian to ……the fine. (Wave/waive)
7. There is the chilled white ……in the glass. (Wine/whine)
8. Despite his ……and complaints, his grandfather remained firm. (Wine/whine)
9. They ……a letter of complaint. (Wrote/rote)
10. He never learns by……. (Wrote/rote)
11. I'll be listening to a few ……of despair from disappointed people. (Wail/whale)
12. Four generations of ……live together in some of these groups. (Wail/whale)
13. There is a slight pain in his lower legs, ankles, feet and……. (Tow/toe)
14. A pickup van was ……a trailer. (Tow/toe)
15. I saw ……falling in heavy drops outside of my window. (Rain/reign)
16. Vanilla will always ……supreme when it comes to ice cream. (Rain/reign)
17. We need a spice ……for the house. (Wrack/rack)
18. High in the sky, the moon rides through a……of a cloud. (Wrack/rack)
19. Do you want to see ……name on the cover of a paperback? (Your/you’re)
20. ……in big trouble now. (Your/you’re)

Answers

1. Pores
2. Pouring
3. Scene
4. Seen
5. Waved
6. Waive
7. Wine
8. Whines
9. Wrote
10. Rote
11. Wails
12. Whales
13. Toes
14. Towing
15. Rain
16. Reign
17. Rack
18. Wrack
19. Your
20. You're