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Has someone ever told you that you used a wrong word? Well, you're not alone. Many people confuse terms without even knowing it. You might think that it's usually the English language learners who get the names of concepts or objects all mixed up, but it's not unusual for native speakers to get tangled up in misconceptions too.

The truth is, some terms seem so synonymous that people don't even bother to look them up. So, if you ever find yourself in an argument whether muffins have icing or whether tofu and panner are the same thing, it might mean that you need to do some research. But no worries. This time we've got you covered. Inspired by a Scoop Whoop post we dug around and collected some of the most confusing words to explain the differences between them.

Check out if you've made any of these mistakes and let us know in the comments.

(h/t)

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    #4

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    PublicDomainPictures , Foto-Rabe Report

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    athornedrose
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    or as we were taught, poisonous: hurts if you bite it, venomous: hurts if it bites you.

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    #8

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    Pexels , pen_ash Report

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    Lucida
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In my language (Swedish) both have the same name but with "land" and "water" at the beginning of the word, like "waterturtle" and "landturtle".

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    #10

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    Alaska Fisheries Science Center , GFDL&CC Report

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    Marlene Riethmüller
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    had been told 'shrimp' is used more in American English, while 'prawn' is favoured in British English

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    #20

    Commonly Misused Words

    adege , Hans Report

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    Lizard Queen
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." - Terry Pratchett

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    #22

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    Luctheo , Annca Report

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    Hans
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This does not really belong here, does it? A champagne is still a sparkling wine, so technically it is a specialisation, not two thing that are confused but essentially are different.

    Giedrė
    BoredPanda Staff
    Verified
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unfortunately, it's quite a common occurrence for people to use 'champagne' when talking about sparkling wine (it's actually illegal to label any sparkling wine 'champagne'!). So yes, while all champagne is sparkling wine, not all sparkling wine is champagne.

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    Sykz
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    By law if sparking wine wants to be called champagne it has to be made ONLY in Champagne France.

    Kiki
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Basically, two wines can be made the exact same way from the exact same kind of grape, but only the one made in the Champagne region can be called Champagne.

    Jo Morris
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It was in the mid-2000s that the name 'champagne' can only be used for those made in the champagne region; otherwise it has to be known as 'sparkling wine'.

    Camilla Koutsos
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Bubbly not from Champagne but made the same way may also be labelled as la Méthode Champenoise.

    Gemma Lees
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There are rubbish cheap Champagnes just as there are expensive decent Cavas.

    Neave GrimWyck
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Huh. I was told that sometimes the winemakers screw up during the wine making process so they use that messed up wine to make into sparkling wine. Idk who told me this but I guess it's wrong lol

    Cody Ferguson
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Similarly what Americans call ‘French fries’ aren’t actually from France. They’re from Belgium.

    Brigitta Swart
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Champagne is actually a trademark. No other sparkling wine that is made outside of France may be called Champagne

    Andres Andrade
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Champagne is not a trademark, it is a Denomination of Origin, which consists of certain rules, as the origin of a certain region, certain types of grapes for its manufacture, manufacturing method, storage times and aging. Therefore a Champagne and a sparkling wine is not the same

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    Nick Colderwood
    Community Member
    6 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Doesn't have to be made in champagne. As long as the grapes come from champagne it can be made anywhere and legally be called champagne. But who cares, it still tastes like c**p.

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    #23

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    Stanze , Skeeze Report

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    Neeraj Jha
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Their expression say that they are disappointed in you that you didn't know this.

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    #25

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    Linda De Volder , Dmitry Dzhus Report

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    Hans
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Do not tell this to all this alternative right movements who claim that there are certain "people" native to places, and that their intermingling with other "races" will weaken the national identity. We may form nations and e may come from different ethnicies, but we are all humans!

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    #26

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    seagul , mareke Report

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    Rue Granger
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "I never know... What's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?" "Stalagmite has an 'm' in it"

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    #27

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    earth247woman , Illuvis Report

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    Cactuar Jon
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How do people not know the difference between a butterfly and a moth???

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    #28

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    willems_87 , Nahal08 Report

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    N G
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What do you call a Gorilla that has a Banana stuck in each ear ? Answer: Anything you like..... because he can't hear you

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    #30

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    Ben_Kerckx , fsHH Report

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    Rue Granger
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm not sure about everyone else, but I'm pretty sure people know this. Right? Or is it just me?

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    #31

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    BubbleJuice , kathydetweiler Report

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    Dian Ella Lillie
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I did a Masters and a PhD in anurans. The distinction between 'frogs' and 'toads is arbitary. Not all dryish anurans are short-leggedish, or smoothish, or stringy-eggedish, and not all mucussy anurans are the obverse in one or more of those characteristics. The notion of frogs versus toads is simply a gradient of perceptions with no biological significance. And the teeth thing that another commernter claimed is a nonsense...

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    #32

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    NickRivers , webandi Report

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    Dian Ella Lillie
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wasps can be pollinators - there are many species of orchids whose flower structures are predicated on exactly this fact. Look it up.

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    #34

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    GLady , Dennis Candy Report

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    Neeraj Jha
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I am not sure about this.. The one on the right is also eaten as a fruit in my natives.. It's more like a different variety of Banana..

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    #35

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    Wounds_and_Cracks , Couleur Report

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    Mary-Jane Scharnick
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    in S.A the tangerines are called naartjies. pronounced 'nar-chies' . think it comes from the Afrikaans language.

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    #36

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    SofieZborilova , MartinStr Report

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    Dian Ella Lillie
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Like other differences on this list, the distinctions are arbitrary and not consistent. There is not biological difference between kangaroos and wallabies, save size, and small kangaroos and be smaller than large wallabies. Some wallaby species are distinctly plain in colour. My bona fides? I'm a biologist, with three species of macropod that that come out to graze on my paddocks every night.

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    #37

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    Alexas_Fotos , Glavo Report

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    Cactuar Jon
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Rats are amazing, intelligent creatures and it's about time people stopped being scarred of them and start educating themselves about them. They deserve respect.

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    #39

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    RitaE , Mooss Report

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    Neeraj Jha
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I thought it's more of US/UK thing. UK calls it biscuits while US cookies.. no?

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