CoMMonly confused words (I)

As you all know the spelling is a tricky matter in English. Also happens that some words are very similar in spelling and meaning but not exactly the same. 

Here it´s a list of some of those words, so next time you bump into them, you don´t get in trouble! 

Have a good day!

BESIDE/ BESIDES.

Beside (preposition): next to, at the side of.

i.e: Can you hand me that book? It´s beside the lamp.

Besides (adverb) also, as well.

      (preposition) 'in addition to',

i.e:

(adverb) He's responsible for sales, and a lot more besides.

(preposition) Besides tennis, I play soccer and basketball.

CLOTHES/ CLOTH.

Clothes: something you wear (ropa)

i.e:Just a moment! Let me change my clothes.

Cloths: pieces of material used for cleaning or other purposes (trapo)

i.e: There are some cloths in the closet. Use those to clean the kitchen.

LAST/ LATEST.

Last: (adjective) final, there is no more after this (último).

i.e: I took the last train home.

Latest: (adjective) most recent, new.

i.e: His latest book is excellent.

Have you seen his latest painting?

LAY / LIE.

Lay/laid/laid: (verb) to put down flat something (tumbar algo).

i.e: He laid his pencil down and listened to the teacher.

Lie/lay/lain: (verb) to be lie down, in a lying position (tumbarse uno mismo, tenderse, acostarse).

i.e: The girl lay on the bed asleep.

At the moment, he's lying on the bed.

LOSE / LOOSE.

Lose (verb) to misplace, not win. (perder algo).

i.e: I lost my watch!

Loose (adjective) not tight (suelto, desatado, holgado).

           (verb) to release (soltar, desatar).

i.e: Your trousers are very loose!

If I lose any more weight, my clothes will be too loose.






PRICE/ PRIZE.

Price (noun) what you pay for something (precio).

i.e: What's the price of this book?

Prize (noun) award (premio).

i.e: Tom hooper won the Academy prize as best director this year.

AWARD/ REWARD.

Award: (noun) premio.

i.e: He´s just received another award for his work.

Reward: (noun) compensación, recompensa.

i.e: A reward has been offered for anyone that can provide authorities with information about the suspect.

QUITE/ QUIET.

Quite (adverb): bastante.

i.e: This test is quite difficult.

Quiet: (adjective) the opposite of loud or noisy (tranquilo, silencioso)

i.e: Could you please be quiet?!

SOME TIME/ SOMETIMES.

Some time: refers to an indefinite time in the future.

i.e: We should definetly meet for coffee some time.

Sometimes: (adverb) oCCasionally.

i.e: He sometimes works late.

Similar but not the same: Sick/ill. Ache/Pain.

SICK/ILL.

Ambos son adjetivos y significan enfermo, pero tienen usos y connotaciones diferentes.

-Sick es más informal, más indefinido. Se refiere a un conjunto de síntomas sin tener necesariamente una enfermedad diagnosticada. Por lo general, suele estar relacionado con mareos, nauseas,...

i.e: I feel sick.

-Ill se refiere a tener una enfermedad en particular. Suele usarse para cosas más serias, graves o de mayor duración, siempre de tipo físico.

i.e: He´s in the hospital now, he is seriOUsly ill

Expresiones:

-I feel sick (or I feel unwell): estoy indispuesto, tengo ganas de vomitar, me duele la barriga, estoy mareado,…

-I´m sick: estoy mal (se refiere a enfermedades mentales)

-He is sick: está enfermo/indispuesto. También puede significar "es un pervertido, solo piensa en lo mismo,...". Así que cuidado con esta expresión, asegurate de definir bien el contexto.

-To call sick: llamar al trabajo para avisar de que no puedes ir porque estás enfermo.

i.e:

-Where is Paul? I haven´t seen him this morning.

- He is not coming today, he called sick this morning.

 -That (something) makes me sick: eso me da asco, me da ganas de vomitar.

i.e: Tuna makes me sick.

-You make me sick: No te soporto, me das asco, me pones enfermo.

Diferencias por zonas:

En el inglés de Estados Unidos:

- se utiliza casi exclusivamente sick.

- sick e ill tienen el mismo sigfnificado: to feel or be unwell, whathever the problema might be.

i.e: They didn´t get to the movies after all; their kid was sick.
(Al final no fueron al cine, su hijo estaba enfermo).

PAIN/ACHE.

Ambos son nombres y significan dolor (unpleasant sensations that you feel in your body).

Diferencias:

-Pain is usually used to refer to a kind of sharp discomfort that is difficult to ignore.

i.e: Yesterday I suddenly felt a lot of pain in my stomach. I was taken to hospital where they discovered I had appendicitis.

-Ache is similar to pain, but it usually is used to refer to a duller kind of discomfort that may continue for longer than a pain might (headache, stomach ache, backache and heartache,…)

Como verbos.

Pain and ache pueden ser usados como verbos pero es menos común.

-Pain.

i.e: It pains me to think of you being so unhappy with your life – meaning it makes me feel unhappy that you are so sad.

(You can´t use this verb in present continuous.)

-Ache.

i.e: My back is really aching.

I wish my leg would stop hurting, it really aches.

Os dejo un vídeo muy mítico, David after dentist...

¡Qué tengáis un buen día!

Little Britain. Fat fighters

Si pensabais que no se podía ser más desagradable que Carol Beer, os presento a Marjorie Dawes, fat fighters coach. Mean, gross, racist,...

This is acid, black humour,...not recoMMended for delicate sensibilities.
Enjoy it! And have a nice week!



-In Usa 80% of the people are morbidly obese, the other 20% are just plain fat: En USA el 80% es obeso mórbido, el otro 20% son solo gordos.

-Ice cube: cubito de hielo.

-Cut out: reducir, recortar, quitarse algo.

-Burm: bollo (de pan)

-Dry burm: un bollo a palo seco.

-Must be something they eat over there: Debe ser algo que comen por allí.

-If anyone would like to come up to my place afterwards for drinks: Si queréis venir a mi casa después de esto a tomar algo...

(To my place/ To mine´s/ To Rachel´s place/ To Rachel´s: : a mi casa. (No se dice my house, my flat,...)


-It´s for your own good: es por tu propio bien.




-To be aware of something: ser consciente de algo.

-Warm welcome: calida bienvenida.

-Your movies...well, we don´t remember any but I take your word: Tus películas...bueno, no recordamos ninguna pero si tú lo dices, te creo.

-You have had issues with your weight: Has tenido problemas con tu peso.

-Did you find hard to get a man because of the weight?: ¿Te resultaba dificil encontrar un hombre por tu peso?

-Can we just stick to weight: ¿Podemos centrarnos/ ceñirnos al tema del peso?


-Lost cause: causa perdida.
(Esto es lo que yo llamo un "real friend". Haré un artículo sobre esto, que en inglés no todo son false friends!)

-I can´t believe how you treat people! It´s completely rude! You are meant to help this people and you keep ridculing them about their seize! It´s disgusting!: No puedo creer como tratas a la gente. Es totalmente grosero! Se supone que estás aquí para ayudar a esta gente y no haces más que ridiculizarlos por su peso! Es vergonzoso!