Commonly Confused Sat and Act Words (Diction Errors)


Below is the list of words that frequently appear in the SAT and the ACT Diction Error questions.

*Ones that are in blue are especially important. You may find definitions / tips for them in the next post.




Commonly Confused Sat and Act Words

prosecute vs persecute

fair vs fare (multiple meanings exist for both)

site vs sight vs cite

exhaustive vs exhausting

their vs there

it's vs its

then vs than

patients vs patience

affect vs effect

subject to (adj) vs subjected to (verb)

remit vs submit vs emit vs omit

residents vs residences

expend vs expand vs extend

access vs excess

attribute vs contribute

respective vs receptive

ensure vs assure vs reassure vs insure

Lay– Laid – Laid (used with object/noun) vs lie– lay – lain (used without object/noun)

proceed vs precede vs precedent vs procedure

principal vs principle

respective vs respectful vs respected

elicit vs illicit

averse vs adverse vs adverted vs adversarial

accept vs except

apart vs a part

evoke vs invoke vs provoke vs revoke

considerate vs considered vs consolidated vs considerable

depending vs dependent

perspective vs prospective vs prescriptive vs proscriptive

advice (noun) vs advise (verb)

detract vs distract

may be vs maybe

wary vs weary

inhabit vs inhibit


farther (physical) vs further (metaphorical or abstract)
- These two are often interchangeable, but one really important distinction is that "further" can be used as a verb. For this reason, "to further" is also possible, not "to farther."

inspire vs aspire

scene vs seen

bravely vs bravery

exertion vs assertion

adapt vs adopt (2nd meaning of ‘adopt’ is really important)

everyday vs every day

succeeded vs seceded

dictation vs dictated

bare vs bear

averse vs adverse vs adverted vs adversarial

accept vs except

apart vs a part

may be vs maybe

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