advice / advise
Advice is a noun meaning a suggestion for a beneficial course of action. "Lucy will give you advice on how to use the correct words." Advise means to give advice. "Lucy will advise me to use the correct words."
affect / effect
Effect is usually a noun that means a result or the power to produce a result. “The sound of the falling rain had a calming effect, nearly putting me to sleep.” Affect is usually a verb that means to have an influence on. “His loud humming was affecting my ability to concentrate.” Note that effect can also be a verb meaning to bring about or execute. “The speaker's somber tone effected a dampening in the general mood of the audience.”
all right / alright
Although alright is widely used, it is considered nonstandard English. Do not use alright in your content. As the American Heritage Dictionary notes, it's not “all right to use alright.”
all together / altogether
All together is applied to people or things that are being treated as a group. “We put the pots and pans all together on the shelf.” All together is the form that must be used if the sentence can be reworded so that all and together are separated by other words. “We put all the pots and pans together on the shelf.” Altogether is used to mean entirely. “I am altogether pleased to be receiving this award.”
allusion / illusion
Allusion is a noun that means an indirect reference. “The speech made allusions to the final report.” Illusion is a noun that means a misconception. “The policy is designed to give an illusion of reform.”
alot / a lot
Alot is not a word. Never use it. A lot is correct and means many. "There are a lot of words that are confusing in the English language."
beside / besides
Beside is a preposition that means next to. “Stand here beside me.” Besides is an adverb that means also. “Besides, I need to tell you about the new products my company offers.”
capital / capitol
The city or town that is the seat of government is called the capital. "The capital of Alabama is Montgomery." The building in which the legislative assembly meets is the capitol. "The capitol building in Montgomery, Alabama is very old." The term capital can also refer to an accumulation of wealth or to a capital letter. "I have a capital letter stating how much capital I have in the company."
cite / site
Cite is a verb that means to quote as an authority or example. “I cited several eminent scholars in my study of water resources.” It also means to recognize formally. “The public official was cited for service to the city.” It can also mean to summon before a court of law. “Last year the company was cited for pollution violations.” Site is a noun meaning location. “They chose a new site for the factory just outside town.” (Sight / site is in the "S" section.)
complement / compliment
Complement is a noun or verb that means something that completes or makes up a whole. “The blue coat is a perfect complement to the outfit.” Compliment is a noun or verb that means an expression of praise or admiration. “I received compliments about my new outfit.”
council / councilor / counsel / counselor
A councilor is a member of a council, which is an assembly called together for discussion or deliberation. "The councilor was late for the council meeting." A counselor is one who gives counsel, which is advice or guidance. "We saw our counselor, whom counseled us on how to make our marriage better." More specifically, a counselor can be an attorney or a supervisor at camp.
Advice is a noun meaning a suggestion for a beneficial course of action. "Lucy will give you advice on how to use the correct words." Advise means to give advice. "Lucy will advise me to use the correct words."
affect / effect
Effect is usually a noun that means a result or the power to produce a result. “The sound of the falling rain had a calming effect, nearly putting me to sleep.” Affect is usually a verb that means to have an influence on. “His loud humming was affecting my ability to concentrate.” Note that effect can also be a verb meaning to bring about or execute. “The speaker's somber tone effected a dampening in the general mood of the audience.”
all right / alright
Although alright is widely used, it is considered nonstandard English. Do not use alright in your content. As the American Heritage Dictionary notes, it's not “all right to use alright.”
all together / altogether
All together is applied to people or things that are being treated as a group. “We put the pots and pans all together on the shelf.” All together is the form that must be used if the sentence can be reworded so that all and together are separated by other words. “We put all the pots and pans together on the shelf.” Altogether is used to mean entirely. “I am altogether pleased to be receiving this award.”
allusion / illusion
Allusion is a noun that means an indirect reference. “The speech made allusions to the final report.” Illusion is a noun that means a misconception. “The policy is designed to give an illusion of reform.”
alot / a lot
Alot is not a word. Never use it. A lot is correct and means many. "There are a lot of words that are confusing in the English language."
beside / besides
Beside is a preposition that means next to. “Stand here beside me.” Besides is an adverb that means also. “Besides, I need to tell you about the new products my company offers.”
capital / capitol
The city or town that is the seat of government is called the capital. "The capital of Alabama is Montgomery." The building in which the legislative assembly meets is the capitol. "The capitol building in Montgomery, Alabama is very old." The term capital can also refer to an accumulation of wealth or to a capital letter. "I have a capital letter stating how much capital I have in the company."
cite / site
Cite is a verb that means to quote as an authority or example. “I cited several eminent scholars in my study of water resources.” It also means to recognize formally. “The public official was cited for service to the city.” It can also mean to summon before a court of law. “Last year the company was cited for pollution violations.” Site is a noun meaning location. “They chose a new site for the factory just outside town.” (Sight / site is in the "S" section.)
complement / compliment
Complement is a noun or verb that means something that completes or makes up a whole. “The blue coat is a perfect complement to the outfit.” Compliment is a noun or verb that means an expression of praise or admiration. “I received compliments about my new outfit.”
council / councilor / counsel / counselor
A councilor is a member of a council, which is an assembly called together for discussion or deliberation. "The councilor was late for the council meeting." A counselor is one who gives counsel, which is advice or guidance. "We saw our counselor, whom counseled us on how to make our marriage better." More specifically, a counselor can be an attorney or a supervisor at camp.
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