Commonly Confused Words

 

 

economic/economical

“Economic” and “economical” are two adjectives that are frequently used interchangeably. They are clearly related but they have, strictly speaking, quite distinct meanings.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the definition of economic is

Relating to economics or the economy.

Economical, however, means

Giving good value or return in relation to the resources used or money spent; sparing in the use of resources or money.

So, government policies to do with finance would be economic but fuel-efficient cars would be described as more economical.

the adverb for both words is the same: economically

announcements/advertisements    An announcement is an unpaid ad. An advertisement or ad is paid by the .

journey/voyage Journey is countable. It means one piece of travelling. We wish you a happy journey. (NOT We wish you a happy travel.) The word voyage refers to a long sea journey. “Voyage” refers to a long journey mainly to a distant place or foreign place especially by the sea. The word “voyage” is not often used in modern times but historically. Voyages were very significant        sensible/sensitive SENSIBLE - having an awareness or understanding of a situation Examples: It wasn’t very sensible to leave the car unlocked. SENSITIVE - easily influenced, changed or damaged, especially by a physical activity or effect; easily upset by the things people say or do, or causing people to be upset, embarrassed or angry Examples: Some people's teeth are highly sensitive to cold.