Confusable words | Sunday Observer

Confusable words

30 January, 2022

Some English words appear to be similar but they have different meanings. Here are some of them:

Registrar / bursar

A registrar keeps registers and official records. A bursar manages the financial affairs of a school, college or university.

Regret / remorse

‘Regret’ means ‘to feel sorry about something you have done and wish you had not done it.’

Don’t do anything you might regret.

‘Remorse’ is a strong feeling of being sorry that you have done something very bad.

Throughout the trial the accused had shown no remorse.

‘Regret’ and ‘remorse’ are synonyms.

Regulate / relegate

‘Regulate’ means ‘to control an activity or process, especially by rules.’

We need strict rules regulating the use of chemicals in food.

‘Relegate’ means ‘to give someone or something a less important position than before.’

In the past women tended to be relegated to typing and filing jobs.

Reiterate / repeat

‘Reiterate’ means ‘to repeat a statement or opinion in order to make your meaning as clear as possible.’

Let me reiterate the most important points in the deal.

‘Repeat’ means ‘to say or write something again.’

Can you repeat your question?

Relapse / remission

‘Relapse’ means ‘to become ill again after you have seemed to improve.’

We were afraid he might relapse into a coma.

A remission is a period when a serious illness improves for a time. The cancer has gone into remission.

Relation / relative

In the context of kinship, ‘relation’ and ‘relative’ are synonyms.

Remember / recollect

‘Remember’ means ‘to have a picture or idea in your mind of people, events or places from the past.’ Do you remember Anton?

‘Recollect’ means ‘to be able to remember something.’

‘Remember’ and ‘recollect’ are synonyms.

Reminiscence / reminiscent

Reminiscence is a spoken or written story about events that you remember, as in reminiscences of the war.

‘Reminiscent‘ means ‘reminding you of something’

The paintings were reminiscent of the murals he had seen in temples.

Repel / repulse

If something repels you, it is so unpleasant that you do not want to be near it, or it makes you ill.

The smell of the burning oil repelled him.

If something or someone repulses you, you think that they are extremely unpleasant.

‘Repel’ and ‘repulse’ are synonyms.

Replica / facsimile

A replica is an exact copy of something, especially a building or a work of art.

Have you seen an exact replica of the Taj Mahal?

A facsimile is an exact copy of a picture or piece of writing. Formally, it is a fax.

Replicate / repeat

If you replicate someone’s work, you do it again or try to get the same result again.

There is a need for further research to replicate the findings.

‘Repeat’ means ‘to say or write something again.’

Sorry, could you repeat it?

Request / behest

‘Request’ means ‘to ask for something in a polite or formal way.’

You have to request permission if you want to take any photographs.

‘At the behest of somebody’ is used when someone has asked for something or ordered something to happen.

A committee has been set up at the behest of the minister.

‘Request’ and ‘behest’ are synonyms.

Requisite / requirement

A requisite is something that is needed for a particular purpose. He lacked the moral requisite for the post of warden.

A requirement is something that someone wants or asks for.

‘Requisite’ and ‘requirement’ are synonyms.

Resolve / solve

‘Resolve’ means ‘to find a satisfactory way of dealing with a problem or difficulty.’

The crisis was resolved by negotiations.

‘Solve’ means ‘to find or provide a way of dealing with a problem.’

Do you think that money will solve all your problems?

Restive / restless

‘Restive’ means ‘dissatisfied or bored with your situation, and impatient for it to change.’

The Communist regime struggled to rule over an increasingly restive population.

‘Restless’ means ‘unwilling to keep still or stay where you are, especially because you are nervous or bored’

The children are getting restless.

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