WORDS THAT EVEN THE NATIVES ARE CONFUSED WITH
If you think native speakers of the English language have no problem with identifying which words to use at a particular circumstance, then you are wrong. There are words that (even to this day) confuse the natives in choosing what word should one use to have a correct construction.

To jump start your brain cells, here are some of the confusing words that even the native speakers of English are confused with:


Fewer vs. Less
I think that by the year 2040, the word “fewer” will disappear from dictionaries and grammar books. This is due to the reason several people are beginning to mix the words “fewer” and “less” which eventually pushes the wrong form to becoming the standard of grammar. And since language change is an already accepted phenomenon globally, this mix up might become the standard should grammarians prevent this from happening.

So, what’s the difference of these two words?

Use “fewer” for countable nouns and “less” for uncountable ones.

For example:
Few peoplecame to see my new giraffe than I expected.
Cherie drinks less wine than she used to.


Lay vs. Lie
I’ve got to say that these two words gave me a headache once before. This might be confusing but if you think about it the right way, then you are all good.

“Lie” means “make yourself horizontal”.
In fact, “lie” is a common word in the English language. Why? We do it every day when we go to sleep at night. You do lie down when you sleep, right? Anyways, kidding aside, I think the part where it gets confusing is when you use “lie” in its past tense. This is due to the fact that “lie” is an irregular verb, and these kind of verbs normally change their spelling as the tenses change.

That includes “lie”: lie, lay, lain. So, if we use “lie” in the past tense, we can say this.

For example:
She lay in the grass thinking about the galaxies and the stars.

However, there is another “lay”.
“Lay” means “put something down ? usually in a careful way”.
So, in a sense, it’s to make something “lie” down. Are you still with me?
For example:
“He lays the bike carefully on the grass and starts climbing the tree.”
And out of these two words, “lay” is the one word that you would never forget when we talk about its past tense and past participle form:
“LAY” - “LAID” - “LAID”


Deprived vs. Depraved
The aforementioned words are specifically confusing words - this just goes to show how crazy the language is when one letter can make all the difference.

If you think you don’t have something that you need, then you can say that you are deprived.
For example:
If you see a neighborhood - a part of town that’s scarce of everyday resources - a place that does not get a lot of support from the government, then that neighborhood is deprived
Furthermore, if you haven’t had enough sleep from studying for a couple of nights now, then you may call yourself as sleep-deprived


To say that one is depraved means “someone is morally corrupt or unethical”. It is a word that is used to describe people.

For example:
If someone is depicted as depraved, then, they are capable of doing things that are immoral and dishonorable. Just think about corrupt politicians who murder their power to insubordinate people or murderers who kill people without conscience for pleasure.



Finance vs Finances
The difference of these two terms are easily distinguishable.

Finance is the general management of money. It may also be a science or a study of the management of funds.

For example:
A student can study Finance at a university which may include subjects such as Economics, Accounting, and Business Management, among others. Another example would be the job position of being a Finance Director where he/she manages the circulation of money from companies to banks.


But, when we say “finances”, we mean the “money” itself. Funds.

For example:
When we talk of finances, we normally identify and ask what kind of finances we are talking about. Furthermore, we discuss finances with our parents, if we students need them to pay for our tuition costs.


Uninterested vs. Disinterested
The words disinterested and uninterested are sometimes used as if they have the same meaning. But there is a difference, and to avoid confusion, you should be aware of what that difference is.

“Uninterested” and “Disinterested” may poise themselves as confusing for they are sometimes used interchangeably. But there is a difference and to avoid further confusion, awareness should be practiced.

When someone does not have an interest in a matter or if someone is impartial, unbiased, or has no stake in the outcome, then we can use the word “disinterested”. It is normally used in legal or business contexts.

For example:
Is the judge disinterested regarding this case or
does she need to recuse herself?

Now, on the other hand, let’s talk about the word “uninterested”.

If someone is bored or does not simply care about something (not showing interest in something at all), then we must use the word “uninterested” to describe them.

For example:
Sheila was uninterested in learning math;
she preferred social studies.

Now, with these 10 words that the native speakers of the English language gets confused with, it is not surprising if new learners of the language commit mistakes on these. The trick to any English struggle is to keep in mind the rules laden for each of these words. Let’s make the prescriptivists proud by preserving the rules that made the very foundation of the English language that we know today.

‘Till the next lesson!


Written by Janice T. Dollosa