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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)

#4

Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

PublicDomainPictures , Foto-Rabe Report

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athornedrose
Community Member
5 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
5 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
5 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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#13

Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

Diane Olivier , Sally Wynn Report

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Just Curious
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I didn't know anyone confused crows with ravens... except for the guys who make the Game of Thrones TV show

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LilicatUK
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And jackdaws (pale eyes) and rooks (grey beak). Ravens are HUGE!

data1001 avatar
Data1001
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, I think the first one I saw in person was at Grand Canyon. Thought I was hallucinating for a second, he was so big.

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

You would use a raven to send a message from King's Landing to the crows on the wall.....

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Douglas Campbell
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The ravens at the Tower of London are the size of medium sized dogs.

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

At least in the US, the common raven is twice as big as the common crow. Ravens also have what look like whiskers around their beaks. Ravens give off more of a croak sound while the crows have their signature "caw! caw!".

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

Crows also flock together in larger numbers. If you only see one, it's probably a raven.

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

You would know if you saw a Raven- you'd also be very lucky (depending on where you live). Ravens are big birds.

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Katinka Min
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know there was a difference but I'd never seen a raven. until one day in the woods and it was HUGE! O.o And so black it looked like someone cut a birdshaped hole into the wooden scenery (Ok, not eagle size huge but still way larger than the many crows that live in my city)

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Lindsay Davis
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

...I didint know there was a difference till I went to Alaska. Saw my first raven...let's just say there was some panic involved. He was easily over 2 foot tall!!!! Scared me half to death!

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Stephanie Chapman
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At the Tower of London they have 3 ravens in residence. These things are the size of really fat house cats. The legend is that if all 3 die then England will fall. I wonder if 1 dies they just have a backup raven somewhere.

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Robert Melton
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ravens eat things that are already dead, like vultures. Crows eat vegetables.

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Natasha Blackley
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Crows are a shiny blue black whereas Ravens seem to be matt black colour

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rat race
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also you can name a girl "Raven"...but you cant name them "Crow".

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Francisco Almendra Soto
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I knew there was a difference, but never know exactly what it is, until now. Some may say is pure ignorance, but I mst say, in my defense, that in my country there are no crows nor ravens at all.

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Šimon Špaček
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also there are two types of ravens. One is "northern raven" which is bigger and stronger and can hunt rabbits or rats and likes corpses. The otherone is "Rook". Bit smaller, probably smarter and eats mostly vegetarian food (about 70%), especially grains, nuts and fruits but also likes worms, insects and larvae.

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Aileen Grist
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A crow in a group is a raven - a raven alone is a crow - ie crows go round on their own, or in pairs - apparently - while ravens move in groups. But not in my garden

clairekidd avatar
Claire Kidd
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not in my experience (with Crows). They're always in groups, called Murders.

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M.J. J.
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

when ravens fly their tail forms a V shape, crows tail are blunt

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A.R.
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wonder if we have ravens in the US? I know for sure we have tons of crows in the NW.

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Kami
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For once it's easier in french: "corbeau" and "grand corbeau" ^^'

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

The crows have really many species so this is not completely accurate. For example in my country most crows are black&grey and those live also in the cities so those are really easy to recognise while the ravens usually live just in the woods and are much more rare.

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_WEIRD_ONE_
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

actually, im pretty sure that both of those pictures e of ravens... : ¬ /

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Catalina Salvatierra
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In spanish they're both called CUERVO, how the heck am I going to express myself correctly from now on?

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Alib
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A crow's beak is more of a straight V, while ravens have a curve on the top of their beak. But so many crows and ravens have interbred it is getting harder to tell them apart.

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Sergey Basalaev
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This pair is even more confusing in Russian (and I imagine in other Slavic languages) since they are named almost identically ('vorona' and 'voron').

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#20

Commonly Misused Words

adege , Hans Report

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Lizard Queen
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5 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
5 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
5 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
5 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
5 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
5 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
5 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
5 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
5 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
5 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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#33

Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

Liz Mochrie , George Wesley & Bonita Dannells Report

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Vivek Mhatre
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated 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

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Neeraj Jha
Community Member
5 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
5 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
5 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
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5 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
5 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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