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Some wrongly used words

In this lesson, we shall consider some words that are often used wrongly. These words almost sound alike, and that is where the confusion lies. The speaker or writer may mean to express one thing, but will end up using another word for it. We shall see those words in the following pairs:

Defy and defile

Defy: to refuse to obey; to resist or fight. E.g.,

i. He defied his parents and embarked on the journey.

ii. The protesting students have continued to defy all effort to stop them.

Defile: to make unclean; to violate; to desecrate. E.g.,

i. The man was accused of defiling the minor.

ii. The young man defiled the shrine when he walked in with his shoes

Eligible and legible 

Eligible: permitted; qualified; suitable. E.g.,

i. Only eligible voters can participate during elections.

ii. He was not chosen for the competition becuase he was not eligible.

Legible: readable. E.g.,

i. His handwriting is not legible.

ii. The document is very legible.

Perpetuate and perpetrate 

Perpetuate: to cause something to continue. E.g.,

i. He perpetuates the belief that the man is a wizard.

ii. Success through rituals is being perpetuated by movie makers.

Perpetrate: to do something wrong or illegal. E.g.,

i. The young man vowed to avenge the evil perpetrated against his family.

ii. The police are out to arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

Now you can see the difference in the pairs. We hope that going further, you will take pains to identify and use the correct one in your writing or speech.

Share your thoughts with us at the comment section.

Regards!

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