Learning English

What’s the difference between careful, careless and carefree?

This week we are looking at a few words that could be confusing for some learners of English: careful, careless, and carefree. careful If you are careful, you do something with a lot of attention. She told me to be careful with… Read More

What’s the difference between aloud and loudly?

This week we are looking at two words which are sometimes confused: aloud and loudly. aloud If you read aloud a book or apiece of writing, you say the words while you are reading them. She read aloud to us from the newspaper. If you think… Read More

What’s the difference between alone and lonely?

This week we are looking at two words which are sometimes confused: alone and lonely. alone If you are alone, you are not with any other people. I wanted to be alone. Lucy spends most of her time alone in the flat. Make sure that you… Read More

What’s the difference between affect and effect?

This week we are looking at two words which are sometimes confused: affect and effect. affect Affect /əˈfekt/ is a verb. To affect someone or something means to cause them to change, often in a negative way. More than seven million people have been affected by… Read More

What’s the difference between accept and except?

This week we are looking at two words which are sometimes confused: accept and except. accept function playAudio(url) { new Audio(url).play(); } Accept /əkˈsept/ is a verb. If someone offers you something and you accept it, you agree to take it. I never accept presents from clients. Your… Read More

What’s the difference between borrow and lend?

This week we are looking at two words which are sometimes confused: borrow and lend. borrow function playAudio(url) { new Audio(url).play(); } If you borrow something that belongs to someone else, you use it for a period of time and then return it. Could… Read More

What’s the difference between ashamed and embarrassed?

This week we are looking at two words which are sometimes confused: ashamed and embarrassed. ashamed If you are ashamed, you feel sorry about something you did wrong. He upset Dad, and he feels a bit ashamed. They were ashamed to admit that they had lied. Read More

What’s the difference between loose and lose?

This week we are looking at two words which are sometimes confused: loose and lose. loose Loose /luːs/ is an adjective. It means `not firmly fixed’, or `not tight’. The handle is loose. Mary wore loose clothes. lose Lose /luːz/ is a verb. If you lose something, you cannot find it,… Read More

17 other words for ‘cry’

We use the word ‘cry’ commonly in English, yet there are many other different words you can use instead to be more specific and make your writing more interesting. Here are some synonyms for ‘cry’ when used to mean that someone is unhappy:… Read More