Commonly confused words

Words that sound alike but mean different things. Each guide gives the short answer, examples, and an easy way to remember.

• Your or you’re?“Your” shows that something belongs to you. “You’re” is short for “you are”.
• Their, there or they’re?“Their” shows something belongs to them. “There” is a place, or starts a sentence like “there is”. “They’re” is short for “they are”.
• Its or it’s?“It’s” is short for “it is” or “it has”. “Its” shows that something belongs to it, with no apostrophe, like “his” and “her”.
• Then or than?Use “than” to compare two things. Use “then” for time or order: what happens next.
• Affect or effect?Most of the time, “affect” is the action (a verb) and “effect” is the result (a noun). Rain affects the game; the rain had an effect on the game.
• Lose or loose?“Lose” means to misplace something or not to win. “Loose” means not tight, or not fixed in place.
• To or too?“Too” means “more than enough” or “also”. “To” shows direction (“go to work”) or comes before a verb (“to eat”). “Two” is the number 2.
• Advice or advise?“Advice” is the noun: what you give someone. “Advise” is the verb: what you do when you give it.
• Whether or weather?“Weather” is rain, sun and wind. “Whether” introduces a choice or a doubt, as in “whether or not”.
• Whose or who’s?“Who’s” is short for “who is” or “who has”. “Whose” asks or tells who something belongs to.

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