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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)

#1

Commonly Misused Words

CityofDeltona , diaznash Report

Ry Keener
Community Member
7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One will see you later, the other will see you after a while.

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    #3

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    wiki Report

    BusLady
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    But not Ireland. A lot of ppl don't know this

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    #4

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    PublicDomainPictures , Foto-Rabe Report

    athornedrose
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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

    Lucida
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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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    #9

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    hirisflower , videorevive Report

    Bella Smith
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have never heard of oposumms but they are cute!

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    #10

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    Alaska Fisheries Science Center , GFDL&CC Report

    Marlene Riethmüller
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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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    #11

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    Life-Of-Pix , Pexels Report

    Hans
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Good to have that made concrete!

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    #12

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    arinaja , Rebecca Siegel Report

    stellermatt
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    in the uk jam is on toast and jelly is with ice cream...

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    #14

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    Bru-nO , stevepb Report

    BusLady
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They also have "capsule shaped" tablets.

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    #15

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    skeeze , gkgegk Report

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    #17

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    ndemello , danielamorescalchi0 Report

    Casandra Nițescu
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Crayfish are also significantly smaller than lobsters

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    #18

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    Staleybk , Pexels Report

    Erin
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I only know this because I am a cat nerd

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    #19

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    rodeopix , Peter Hinsdale Report

    #20

    Commonly Misused Words

    adege , Hans Report

    Lizard Queen
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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

    Hans
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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

    Neeraj Jha
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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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    #24

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    DesignNPrint , indigokiri Report

    Daniel Losinger
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Muffins are a main course and cupcakes are dessert.

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    #25

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    Linda De Volder , Dmitry Dzhus Report

    Hans
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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

    Rue Granger
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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

    Cactuar Jon
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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

    N G
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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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    #29

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    Zweer de Bruin , Bertoguide Report

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

    Armadillos are native to the Americas, pangolins are native to Asia.

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    #30

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    Ben_Kerckx , fsHH Report

    Rue Granger
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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

    Dian Ella Lillie
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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

    Dian Ella Lillie
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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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    #33

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    Liz Mochrie , George Wesley & Bonita Dannells Report

    Vivek Mhatre
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Paneer is awesome. Especially when coated with a layer of spiced corn flour or spiced bread.

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    #34

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    GLady , Dennis Candy Report

    Neeraj Jha
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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

    Mary-Jane Scharnick
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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

    Dian Ella Lillie
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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

    Cactuar Jon
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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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    #38

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    Rawpixel , Wpaczocha Report

    Lee roberts
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unless you drink what may aswell be a bucket of tea like me.

    Ntosh
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So if I drink coffee in a cup, does it turn into a mug? I think the above differentiation does not really make sense. Maybe if you said a mug is a bigger variation of a mug but it does not have a saucer?

    Ntosh
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oops, wanted to say : * a cup is a bigger variation of a mug. When is bored panda going to allow us to edit our comments

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    Helena
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think this may be cultural. At least from what I've seen in a couple of European and African countries, it's a larger vessel for tea and a tiny one for coffee.

    Kristel
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What you put in it does not define what it is. Cups are smaller and mugs are bigger (especially taller)

    Don Lawson
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A mug is a cup, but not all cups are mugs.

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    Kevin Chen
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don’t think this is determined by usage, maybe just aesthetics

    Tove Hansen
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To blow someones brain; coffee-CUPS also exists :) If you have a nice dinner, and get coffee served afterwards, they don't bring you a mug, but a cup :)

    Samantha Beckett
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Who doesn't know the difference between a mug and a cup? This one is stupid.

    Derpy Bob
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeeaaah, I drink my tea out the same mug as my coffee, i think the difference is more in size, thickness, and usually accompanying saucer when it comes to hotter drinks

    Don Lawson
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Both are cups. Mugs usually have handles are thicker and are larger than other cups and are intended for hot liquids, including tea if you want more tea than will fit into a traditional "teacup". "Cup" can also refer to any number of beverage containers of a variety of size, thickness and intended potable. There are: coffee cups, red plastic cups for soda and beer at picnics, paper cups for water at the water fountain, plastic thermos cups on top of your thermos of soup, sake cups, shot glasses, stemware, beer steins, measuring cups, etc.

    Bored Fox
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As a tea drinker I find it very offensive that in many fancy parties the tea cup is smaller than a coffee cup. If I could choose I would always take the largest mug available for my tea. :)

    Patricia Rivera
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Cups are also used for coffee, but usually has a saucer. The different use is just the quantity of beverage you want to drink.

    BurntBrownies
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well, cuphead and his pal mugman...

    Claire Kidd
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Actually I use a mug for my tea because I like a good amount of it. Also, have you ever heard some stupid people saying that it tastes better out of a cup?! What planet are they living on??

    Nancy McKenna
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think lore says "cup" but I think it is that bone china (which cups & saucers may be made of) helps tea to taste better. I drink both coffee & tea from a large ceramic mug.

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    Anthony Nizza
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And you stick your pinky out when drinking from a teacup. Lol

    Jenny Lorenz
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "I like big mugs and I can not lie"

    glowworm2
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I like to drink my tea out of a bigass green mug, thank you very much.

    mewmew34
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I use a mug for tea, because if I'm drinking tea I'm drinking plenty of it.

    Donna O
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I know plenty of people who drink mugs of tea.

    Gerry Higgins
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Mug sits on it's bottom but cups sit on pedestals at the bottom and usually on a saucer also

    Hugh Walter
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A cup has a saucer a mug doesn't

    Anurag Gothwal
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Interesting Things Make Money Affiliate Marketing Social Media Marketing Mens cloths Womens cloths Places to visit in India Religious places in India Things to know before coming to India Things to do in India

    Daiana Mavlea
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In Romania we serve coffee in cups, especially in restaurants, while homemade tea, especially plant infusions, is drunk from a mug. :))

    Lex Marcelino
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Mug can also be a picture while Cup can also be a breast size.

    Pobin Rice
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No no no no.....a MUG is thick. A cup is thin.

    Marika Stanway
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My mother would never drink her coffee from a mug! It has to be in a cup, for a lady.

    Jens Andersen
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In England they also drink coffee from cups.

    Mourits Tavsen
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I use a mug for tea, because i dont want to fill that baby cup up after each sip

    Laura
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Explain this: why is the thing with no handles called a glass no matter what material its made of, unless it comes from a fast food restaurant then its a cup

    Bente Gulickx
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In Holland it is the other way around. Cups are for coffee and mugs for tea. Sometimes made of thickend glass.

    Miss Cris
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In fact, in Spain we use cups to drink coffee and chocolate and (at home) mugs to drink tea

    Eva Friend
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I always thought cups are just smaller and/or finer mugs and that they can have but don't require a handle. What do you call a stoneware cup (made on purpose) without a handle?

    Annamie Murray
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've never seen or heard of a stoneware cup without a handle. Except perhaps a chalice!

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    archy unikeks
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Mug is used for whatever you want to use it for. Quite popular for drinking beer from it (wooden, glass or even ceramic mugs). Again cup is used for anything you want to use it for, here, coffee is stronger and usually you drink it from a cup, while you drink tea from slightly larger cup usually, since I'm lazy, I make tea in a mug X_x. You'd probably make a cappuccino or nesscaffe in a mug, not a cup.

    archy unikeks
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Clear difference between two things is their size, not their function. We've used to do shots from cups, since we didn't have any small glasses at hand at that time :p

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    diane a
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    they are both the same thing - just a mug is bigger

    Annamie Murray
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    True. They are both vessels that hold drink. Just the names cup or mug denote the type.

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    Shrirang Joshi
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Two cents from my side - Coffee tastes better in a mug. Tea is not served in mug, if someone wants to drink from mug he can.

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    #39

    Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

    RitaE , Mooss Report

    Neeraj Jha
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created 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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