Often confused

A whole comprises or contains its parts; parts compose or constitute a whole. Include introduces members or examples. Write “comprises”, not “comprises of”.

Criterion is singular; criteria is plural. Pair “one” or “a” with criterion, and use a plural verb with criteria.

Use fewer for countable items and less for amounts. Established expressions involving time, money, distance and measurements often use less.

Revert meaning “reply” is established in some varieties of English and familiar in Singapore workplaces. Reply is less likely to be misunderstood by an international audience.

Appraise is about assessment; apprise is about informing.

Precedents are earlier examples; precedence is priority. You set a precedent, but one consideration takes precedence over another.

Advice is an uncountable noun; advise is a verb. Write “a piece of advice” for one recommendation and “please advise” when asking someone to respond.

Affect is usually a verb meaning influence; effect is usually a noun meaning result. Effect is also a valid formal verb meaning bring about.

Complement and complementary are about completing or enhancing; compliment and complimentary are about praise. Complimentary can also mean free of charge.

Principal can mean chief or most important; principle is a rule or fundamental belief.

Discreet is careful or unobtrusive; discrete is separate or distinct.

Stationary means still; stationery refers to writing materials.

You assure a person, ensure an outcome and insure against financial loss.

The sender implies; the receiver infers. Some historical overlap exists, but this distinction prevents ambiguity.

Elicit is a verb meaning draw out; illicit is an adjective meaning prohibited.

A council is a group; counsel is advice or an adviser.

Cite a source, visit a site and see a sight.

In British-style spelling, practice is the noun and practise is the verb. American English uses practice for both.

In British-style spelling, licence is the noun and license is the verb. American English uses license for both.

British-style writing commonly uses programme for organised initiatives and program for computing. American English uses program for both.

Dependent is the adjective. In British-style spelling, dependant is the noun for a person who relies on another.

Continual usually emphasises repeated recurrence; continuous emphasises an unbroken sequence; continued simply means carried on or persisting.

Alternate is clearest for taking turns; alternative is clearest for another choice.

Historic usually means historically important; historical means related to history or the past more generally.

Use staff for the workforce collectively and staff member when referring to one person. Use staff members when a precise count matters.

Feedback is normally uncountable. Use comments for countable observations, or pieces or items of feedback when you need to count feedback.

Information is uncountable in standard workplace English. Use a piece or item of information for one fact and pieces or items for several.

Equipment is normally uncountable. Use a piece or item of equipment for one device and pieces or items for several.

Responsible usually identifies who does or manages the work; accountable identifies who ultimately owns and answers for the result.

Approve something means formally authorise it; approve of something means have a favourable opinion of it.

Outputs are what the work produces; outcomes are the resulting changes or benefits; impacts are broader or longer-term effects.

Effectiveness asks whether the work achieved the intended result; efficiency asks how well it used time, money and other resources.

Use must for obligations, need to for necessary process steps, should for recommendations and may for permission or options.

Review means examine or assess; revise means make changes. A reviewer may recommend revisions, but a review does not itself promise an edit.

Biannual means twice a year; biennial means every two years. For schedules, writing the frequency explicitly is often clearest.

Personal relates to an individual or private matter; personnel means employees or staff collectively.

Set up is the verb; setup is the noun or adjective. If you can put “to” before it, use two words.

Back up is the verb; backup is the noun or adjective.

Roll out is the verb; rollout is the noun or adjective.

Adapt means modify to fit; adopt means take up or begin using. A team can adopt a framework and then adapt it to local needs.

Adverse describes an unfavourable thing or effect; averse describes someone's attitude and is usually followed by to.

Economic relates to the economy; economical means thrifty, efficient in cost or not wasteful.

Prospective looks forward to a possible future status; perspective is a viewpoint or way of seeing something.

Prescribe sets or recommends what should be done; proscribe forbids what must not be done.

Waive means give up or refrain from enforcing; wave refers to a movement, signal or surge.

Allude to means hint at indirectly; refer to means mention or point to directly.

Compare to often draws an analogy; compare with often examines similarities and differences. In everyday usage they overlap, so prioritise clarity over enforcing a rigid rule.

Already relates to time; all ready means fully prepared.

Altogether means completely or in total; all together means collectively or in one place.

Forgo means do without; forego traditionally means go before, as in foregoing. Forego is also an accepted variant spelling of forgo, but the distinction can improve clarity.

In systems and assurance work, verification asks whether the solution meets its specifications; validation asks whether it serves the intended use.