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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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#15

Commonly-Misused-Words-Pairs-Different-Meaning

skeeze , gkgegk Report

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

sea lions have front drive, seals have rear drive. just look at their flippers.

jono260489 avatar
Jonathon Dickson
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

totally read earholes as arseholes wondered why they would have a flap on their arseholes for a second

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

All pinipeds are covered in fur. Sea lion fur is just shorter, not "sparser".

dmarsh avatar
Daniel Marsh
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Again: be cautious. Sea lions are any of several species of "eared seals," which are distinguished from "true seals," but several types of "seals," including "fur seals" belong in the same family as sea lions, and have ears and short claws.

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

Animal Wiki: "fur seals are also in the sea lion family and are not true seals"

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

Tom is correct. I had only seen documentaries where leopard seals had attracted penguins. Not doing the research is inexcusable; other seals kill penguins. Also, quitting research after I found out some seals rape penguins is perfectly acceptable.

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

The major difference isn't the fur so much ("fur seals" are actually sea lions) but the ears, and also that the sea lion can rotate its back flippers to 'walk' while the seal cannot, and has to 'crawl' on its belly.

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

Also sea lions are able to sit upright, like a dog, or a land animal, while seals on land are basically like big sausages.

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Suzanne Haigh
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Easy to remember, seals have babies with white fur which the Canadians love to take off live babies.

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

Fun Fact...did you know that when it snows, a Seal's eyes become large and the light that you shine can't be seen?

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

Also, did you know that when it snows a Seal's eyes become large and the light that you shine can't be seen?

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

A major distinction is that sea lions can use their rear flippers in a walking motion, but seals can not.

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

Up till now, I believe that seal is short name for sea lion

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battered-salt avatar
Giedrė
BoredPanda Staff
Verified
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thanks for the heads up! We've updated the info to the more accurate version.

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yoment3 avatar
Useless Panda
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Whoever thought these were the same? I didn't, but am I so isolated that I don't know that everyone thinks these were the same?

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

But did you know that when it snows ; My eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen?

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#20

Commonly Misused Words

adege , Hans Report

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Lizard Queen
Community Member
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
Community Member
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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