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GRE Confusing Words Practice

I compiled this list while studying for the GRE. If you already know the difference, feel free to skip the pair.

If you spot a mistake or would like to suggest another pair, please feel free to send me an email.

abstruse / obstruct abyssal / abysmal acerbic / ascetic acolyte / neophyte adjoin / adjourn adjure / abjure agog / aghast amity / enmity anathema / antithesis antagonist / protagonist apologue / apothegm apothegm / apothem apposite / opposite apprehension / reprehension apprise / appraise ardent / arduous arduous / ardent aspersion / asperity aspersion / aversion attenuate / extenuate August / august averse / aver averse / avert avert / aver baleful / baneful baleful / doleful bawdy / dowdy bemuse / amuse bile / bale bilk / milk blight / plight borough / furlough bowl / bowel breach / broach bubonic / bucolic button / bottom cahoot / cohort canny / uncanny canon / cannon captious / caption carousal / carousel cash / cache celerity / celebrity censor / censure chili / Chile cognate / magnate coma / comma common / commonplace complaisant / complacent complement / compliment compliant / complaisant concave / convex condole / condone conjure / conjecture console / condole contour / couture contrive / connive corpulent / opulent cortex / vortex coterie / artery damper / hamper decry / descry deference / difference deflect / defect defuse / diffuse degradation / depredation democrat / Democrat demur / demure denigration / abnegation denture / indenture deprecation / depredation desease / decease detract / detractor diffidence / indifference dilatory / desultory dilettante / debutante diligent / indigent displace / replace disprove / disapprove dissemble / disassemble dork / dock doughty / doughy doughty / dowdy dower / dowry dudgeon / dungeon ebullient / emollient edema / enema efficacy / efface effusive / diffuse effusive / effulgent elder / elderly elicit / illicit ellipsis / ellipse / eclipse emboss / deboss emboss / engrave epigraph / epitaph epilogue / epigraph epilogue / prologue errant / arrant esurient / prurient exceptional / exceptionable execrable / inexorable expletive / invective expound / propound extort / exhort exult / exalt exultation / exaltation factious / factitious factitious / facetious fathomless / unfathomable ferment / foment flare / flair flout / flaunt flub / flob forebear / forbear founder / flounder fractious / factitious fragrant / flagrant fray / flay frisk / brisk frumpy / grumpy fusty / fustian galvanize / tantalize gauge / gouge gentile / genteel geography / geology Google / goggle grate / prate grub / grubby grub / scrub hallow / hollow haven / heaven headlong / headstrong house / housing hurtle / hurdle hyperbola / parabola hyperbole / hyperbola illegible / intelligible impassioned / impassive incommensurable / incommensurate indigenous / indigent indigent / indigenous indigent / indignant indolence / insolence infraction / fractious ingenuous / ingenious inimitable / inimical inquisitive / quizzical instigate / agitate intelligent / intelligible intolerable / intolerant intrepid / insipid inveigh / inveigle inveterate / invertebrate jagged / rugged / ragged lance / lancet latitude / altitude legion / lesion levee / levity libertarian / liberal literal / liberal lithe / blithe means / mean mélange / menagerie minatory / nugatory mirth / smirch miscreant / recreant moan / mourn momentous / momentary monograph / monogram morning / mourning naturalist / naturist neoplasm / pleonasm obeisance / abeyance oblivious / obvious obnoxious / noxious offshoot / upshot omen / Oman onerous / ornery orc / orca palette / palate paltry / poultry pathos / ethos peel / peal peremptory / preemptive perish / parish perspicacious / perspicuous portable / potable precipitous / precipice precipitous / precipitate preclude / prelude premium / premier preposterous / preponderance presumptuous / sumptuous progeny / progenitor pumpkin / bumpkin quandary / quarry quantile / quartile quash / squash querulous / garrulous querulous / quarrelsome quixotic / inquisitive rackety / rickety ratify / rectify rebuff / rebut reckless / feckless reconcile / conciliate rectitude / turpitude regal / regale renege / denigrate renege / negate resurrection / insurrection rhapsody / prosody rowdy / bawdy rowdy / dowdy saddle / bridle saddle / straddle salacious / sagacious scrimp / skimp scrooge / scrounge scrooge / stooge secret / secrete sedulous / acidulous sensor / censor sinuous / arduous snob / snub solipsism / solecism sparse / sparingly stalwart / bulwark statue / statute steep / steeple stoical / stolid strip / stripes subservient / subversion subversive / subservient tamper / hamper tepid / trepid torpor / stupor trench / trenchant trope / troupe trot / strut venial / venal vicarious / precarious vindicate / vindictive vocation / avocation wanton / wonton wary / weary weather / whether wreak / wreck wry / awry

sparse / ˈspɑrs /sparingly / ˈspɛrɪŋli /

1

Trees were ____ on the ridge.

Question 1

sparsesparingly

2

Use the strong spice ____.

Question 2

sparsesparingly

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IPA references: primarily adapted from the General American wordlist in open-dict-data/ipa-dict, with selected pronunciations checked against Dictionary.com and Cambridge Dictionary.

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