Commonly Confused Words

Lose - to not win at something; ex. "If we do not practice we will lose the game.

Loose - not tight; ex. "The dog's collar was loose so he was able to get out of it."

Than - used to compare; ex. "I scored more points than she did."

Then - used to indicate a point in time; ex. "We had lunch and then went back to class."

Your - possessive form of "you"; ex. "Your dog is very well behaved."

You're - contraction of "you are"; ex. "You're coming to the movies on Friday, right?"

Where - indicates a place or location; ex. "Where did you put book?"

We're - contraction of "we are"; ex. "We're all going to the same college."

Were - past tense form of are; ex. "Were you at the concert last night?"

They're - contraction of "they are"; ex. "They're moving to West Virginia."

Their - means it belongs to them; ex. "I hope their new puppy likes all the new toys."

There - indicates a place; ex. "I saw your friend over there."

Its - possessive form of it; ex. "Its name is Nemo."

It's - a contraction of "it is" or "it has"; ex. It's been swimming in circles."

Whose - possessive form of "who"; ex. "Whose ticket is that on the ground?"

Who's - contraction of "who is" or "who has"; ex. "Who's going to the game tonight?"

Lay - to put down or place; ex. "Please lay the blanket down for the picnic."

Lie - to rest or recline; ex. "I have a headache so I will go lie down."

Too - also or very; ex. "I'm going to the store today too."

To - going towards; ex. "I went to the store today."

Two - the number 2; ex. "My daughter will be two on Sunday."

Affect - to impact or influence something; ex. "The test score will affect my grade."

Effect - the result of an influence; ex. "The pollen outside had a bad effect on me."