Some English words appear to be similar but they have different meanings. Here are some of them:
Permeate / pervade
If a liquid or gas permeates something, it enters it and spreads through every part of it.
The smell of gas permeated the air.
If a feeling, idea or smell pervades a place, it is present in every part of it.
A spirit of hopelessness has pervaded the country.
Perpetrate / perpetuate
‘Perpetrate’ means ‘to do something that is morally wrong or illegal.’
Who would have perpetrated such a deadly crime?
‘Perpetuate’ means ‘to make a situation or attitude, especially a bad one, continue to exist for a long time.’
The education system is responsible for perpetuating divisions in society.
Perquisite / prerequisite
A perquisite is a perk or benefit often regarded as a right.
A prerequisite is a precondition.
One of the prerequisites of membership of the society was total abstinence.
Persecute / prosecute
To persecute is to harass or oppress someone.
The Puritans left England to escape being persecuted.
To prosecute is to charge someone with a crime and try to show that they are guilty of it in a court of law.
Shoplifters will be prosecuted.
Personal / personnel
‘Personal’ means ‘belonging or relating to one particular person’
My personal view is that we should not vote for people with a criminal background.
Personnel are the people who work in a company or an organisation.
All personnel will receive security badges.
Personify / impersonate
To personify is to have a lot of a particular quality or a typical example of something.
The new ruler personifies the values of self-reliance and hard work.
To impersonate is to pretend to be someone else by copying their appearance, voice, and behaviour, especially to deceive people.
It is a serious offence to impersonate a police officer.
Perspicacity / perspicuity
Perspicacity is the ability to understand something clearly.
Perspicuity is the ability to express something lucidly.
Perspicacity is needed to grasp the distinction, and perspicuity to explain it.
Pertinent / pertinacious
‘Pertinent’ means ‘directly related to something that is being considered.’
The principal asked me a lot of pertinent questions.
‘Pertinacious’ means ‘continuing to believe something or to do something in a very determined way.’
The case would have been lost but for the pertinacious attitude of the defence team.
Peruse / read
To peruse is to read something in a careful way.
Amanda leant forward to peruse the letter more closely.
To read means to look at written or printed words and understand what they mean.
Tina picked up the letter and read it.
Perverse / perverted
‘Perverse’ means ‘behaving in an unreasonable way, especially by deliberately doing the opposite of what people want you to do.’
Tom gets perverse satisfaction from embarrassing people.
‘Perverted’ means ‘morally wrong.’
John derives perverted pleasure from hurting other people.
Petition / partition
A petition is a written request signed by a lot of people, asking someone in authority to do something or change something.
Villagers have sent a petition to the Government Agent against the proposed coal plant.
A partition is a thin wall that separates one part of a room from another.
Phase / faze
A phase is one of the stages of a process of development or change.
A new Covid vaccine is in the experimental phase.
If a new or difficult situation fazes you, it makes you feel confused or shocked, so that you do not know what to do.
Phlegm / phlegmatic
Phlegm is the thick yellowish substance produced in your nose and throat, especially when you have a cold.
‘Phlegmatic’ means ‘calm and not easily excited or worried.’