Do you know the correct way to use these word pairs?

[AviatorTom]

In The 20 Most Commonly Confused Word Pairs in America, According to Google Data

there are several word pairs that are confusing and are often misused. Here they are:

1 Affect and Effect: 1,026,100 monthly Google searches
2 Breath and Breathe: 157,000 monthly Google searches
3 Ensure and Insure: 105,200 monthly Google searches
4 e. g. and i. e.: 100,600 monthly Google searches
5 Principal and Principle: 82,900 monthly Google searches
6 It’s and Its: 72,680 monthly Google searches
7 Who’s and Whose: 72,540 monthly Google searches
8 Lose and Loose: 68,380 monthly Google searches
9 Than and Then: 61,100 monthly Google searches
10 To and Too: 57,800 monthly Google searches
11 Criteria and Criterion: 54,670 monthly Google searches
12 Desert and Dessert: 36,720 monthly Google searches
13 Lay and Lie: 35,770 monthly Google searches
14 Emigration and Immigration: 35,000 monthly Google searches
15 Woman and Women: 32,390 monthly Google searches
16 You’re and Your: 31,400 monthly Google searches
17 Their and There: 28,100 monthly Google searches
18 Past and Passed: 27,030 monthly Google searches
19 Either and Neither: 21,010 monthly Google searches
20 Cue and Queue: 20,020 monthly Google searches

Do these words often confuse you? Do you know the correct meaning of each and how to properly use them?

Updates

10 mo

I could add a few more to the list:
* Led and Lead - She lead the race. (incorrect)
* Break and Brake - So many people break check when driving. (incorrect)

[andreasderjuengere]

I feel safe about the examples you had given.

The pairs that confuse me (or usually Microsoft, that is) are:

pants / trousers

centre / center

democrat / republican

communist / non-republican

honour / honor

... and such :P

[andreasderjuengere]

thanks :)

[OlderAndWiser]

Lay and lie are my bugaboo because the proper usage sounds unnatural.

[DryGermanGuy]

That’s the only one I sometimes go over again to make sure I’m correct.

[Clear_Skies10]

I agree, there's times I'd rather use lay because it sounds better.

[PretzelBeanie]

I know most of them, but a few I don't. I could probably guess on all except for e. g. and i. e. I would have to Google those, lol!

[purplepoppy]

E g = for example, ie =that is. It's latin but I don't know the real words

[PretzelBeanie]

@purplepoppy I didn't know those were Latin abbreviations, that's interesting. Thanks for explaining!

[DryGermanGuy]

e. g. = exempli gratia
i. e. = id est

[purplepoppy]

Of coarse I do. Its knot hard two rite in proper English.

[AngryCarl2]

These aren't hard for me, but then English is my first language.

And stop saying aluminum. It's aluminium.

[AviatorTom]

@AngryCarl2 There is a subtle difference in the words. Aluminum is the older word, and describes the metal. Aluminium, the ium consistent with other ium words, describes the element. Both words are considered correct.

[DrPepper12]

I'm good with all of them except two.

Lay and Lie

e. g. and i. e.

I don't know & IDC and won't change. Why not just say therefore or for example?

[Massageman]

Yes. There are times when the "autocorrect" feature on my computer will MAKE them wrong, however. AI is so stupid.

[sage2021]

I know the difference between almost all of these.
The one that still stumps me

[Anonymous]

The most often confused should be

• "politician" and "liar"
• "Nazi" and "Republican"
• "Fascist" and "Democrat"
• "Pro-Life" and "Anti-abortion"
• "Pro-choice" and "homicidal lunatics"
• "Israel" and "genocidal"
• "Palestinians" and "Terrorists"
• "Hamas" and "Palestinians"

[Xawyx-2]

Yes I can.

Similar word pairs exist in my language too, but we have different type of spelling and writing.

[douride2]

I have to admit I make a mistake with some of those once on occasion.

[Shiprex]

The only one I would need to check would be 14 but I am pretty sure I know the proper usage of those terms.

[AviatorTom]

@Shiprex The trick I was taught about 14 is that you emigrate from and immigrate too. E and F are before I and T in the alphabet.

[Shiprex]

@AviatorTom
I think I was taught the same but still haven't used emigrate enough to get the difference in spite of emigrating 3 times myself. LOL. It's perspective these two words seem to be separated by.

[beefcakebradybatson]

I was a Fourth-Grade Spelling Champ who scored 16.4 (First-Year Post-Graduate University Student) on an English Comprehension Test, so OF COURSE !!!

[exitseven]

I am usually pretty good with this but Its and It's is confusing to me.

[Panthero80]

A LOT of people conflate lay and lie.

[SaoirseS]

Yes I do.