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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.

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

    I was taught: if it bites you and you die , it’s venomous . If you bite it and you die, it’s poisonous. If you touch it and you die, it’s toxic

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

    The one I hate is flammable & inflammable meaning the same thing. As a kid, it really didn't make sense.

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

    This is one of my biggest pet peeves! Drives me crazy!

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

    Mine is nausea & nauseous, but I only correct people who I know well & have a good sense of humor. I tell them you have nausea if you feel sick but you are nauseous when you make other people sick.

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    Aumjaya Kishatriya
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Actually, the difference I got is venom is defined as a genetically modified saliva. Poisons (like arsenic, oxygen, alcohol, nicotine, basically everything, just depends on the dosage) aren't saliva. Though, that dictionary entry does ignore venom administered through other means.

    Kaia Krokstrand
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In the Norwegian language we use the word gift (poison) or giftig (poisonous) also, the word gift means married. 🤪

    Anna Lundquist
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is a tricky one for me because in Swedish we have the same word for both: “giftig”! So when we translate the word it gets confusing that there are a different word for each type.

    Kerless Wispa
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    😄you Scandinavians have a cryptic sense of humour or you know something the rest of us only find out way too late.

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

    That's why there's actually only one poisonous snake in the world. The grass snake.

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

    Seriously, this needs to be right at the top. It's unbelievable how many people do not know this!!

    Célio Da Paz Farroco
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When you bite it and you die, its poison. When it bites you and you die, its venom.

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

    How about a stinging nettle? Is it venomous because it injects poison? Weird

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

    It always amazes me how many illustrations intended for children contain pictures of that very dangerous toadstool.

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

    and as taught by Super Mario, if I eat that mushroom I'll grow :)

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

    and according to Super Mario, if I eat that mushroom I'll grow :)

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

    Pit vipers, cobras, bees, wasps, Portuguese man-o-wars, spiders, scorpions, and cone snails are venomous. Dart frogs, sea slugs, and puffer fish are poisonous.

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

    See one is a mushroom and one is a snake. That's the difference :)

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

    Yeah well, venom is poison and that's all that matters to me.

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

    You could drink rattlesnake venom and if you have no cuts or ulcers, it won't do anything.

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

    So is my ex wife a venomous snake or a poisonous one? Trick question - she's both!

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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.

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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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