Commonly confused words in English

There are a lot of words in English that look or sound alike but have very different meanings. It's easy to get them confused and most electronic spellcheckers won't be much help in this type of situation: they can tell you if a word has been spelled wrongly but they can't generally flag up the misuse of a correctly spelled word. Here's a quick-reference list of pairs of words that regularly cause people problems.

Loose - To unfasten; to set free
Lose - To be deprived of; to be unable to find

Advice - Recommendations about what to do
Advise - To recommend something

Accept - To agree to receive or do
Except - Not including

Affect - To change or make a difference to
Effect - A result; to bring about a result

Aisle - A passage between rows of seats
Isle - An island

Altar - A sacred table in a church
Alter - To change

Assent - Agreement, approval
Ascent - The action of rising or climbing up

Brake - A device for stopping a vehicle; to stop a vehicle
Break - To separate into pieces; a pause

Complement - To add to so as to improve; an addition that improves something
Compliment - To praise or express approval; an admiring remark

Cue - A signal for action; a wooden rod
Queue - A line of people or vehicles

Defuse - To make a situation less tense
Diffuse - To spread over a wide area

Desert - A water less, empty area; to abandon someone
Dessert - The sweet course of a meal

Discreet - Careful not to attract attention
Discrete - Separate and distinct

Dual - Having two parts
Duel - A fight or contest between two people

Elicit - To draw out a reply or reaction
Illicit - Not allowed by law or rules