Fifteen Confusing Word Pairs, Settled

Affect is usually the verb, effect the noun: 'The delay affected us', 'The delay had an effect'.

Fewer counts, less measures: 'fewer bottles', 'less water'.

Practice is the noun and practise the verb in British English; American English uses 'practice' for both.

Complement completes; compliment praises. Principal is the main one or the head; principle is a rule.

Its is possessive, it's is 'it is'. Their, there, they're. Your, you're. Losing an apostrophe here is the most visible error in written English.

Farther is physical distance, further is degree. Imply is what the speaker does; infer is what the listener does.