D
o you know when nail means something used with a hammer and when
it means a part of your finger? When to use ensure instead of assure? Incred-
ulous instead of incredible? Using the right word can make the difference between
confusion and clarity—and have a huge impact on your TOEFL iBT score. This
chapter reviews commonly confused words that you might encounter on your
TOEFL iBT.
One thing to watch for are words that sound the same and may look alike but
mean different things. They are called homonyms. For example, the word sea-
son has several meanings:
➥ a part of the year (n): spring, summer, fall, or winter
➥ to flavor food (v): I will season the sauce with some curry.
➥ to make experienced (v): Several months touring with a jazz band will sea-
son a young trumpet player because every night, he will learn something new about
his craft.
The term homonym comes from Greek roots meaning:
homo (same)
nym (name)
Commonly Confused
Words—Homonyms
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