Tricky Seventh Grade Word Pairs: Tricky Word Pairs, List 5

Learn the correct meanings and usages of these tricky word pairs.
13 words 64 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. grisly
    shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
    The Ares chariot was bloodred, and pulled by two grisly horse skeletons. The Sea of Monsters
    To see more usage examples of "grisly," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "grisly," "gristly" and "grizzly," click here.
  2. gristly
    difficult to chew
    She explains, “It’s most of a porterhouse steak. She only ate seven or eight bites. She said it was too gristly.” Landscape with Invisible Hand
    To see more usage examples of "gristly," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "grisly," "gristly" and "grizzly," click here.
  3. grizzly
    powerful brownish-yellow bear of western North America
    It was rare for a grizzly bear to attack a person. I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964
    To see more usage examples of "grizzly," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "grisly," "gristly" and "grizzly," click here.
  4. discreet
    not easily noticeable
    They were discreet, and even I didn’t notice them after a short while on the parade route. Proud
    To see more usage examples of "discreet," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "discreet" and "discrete," click here.
  5. discrete
    constituting a separate entity or part
    If you zoomed in close enough, you might see the dots as individual, discrete. The Gene
    To see more usage examples of "discrete," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "discreet" and "discrete," click here.
  6. empathy
    understanding and entering into another's feelings
    “Maybe it’s a way for you to become closer to her, to let her know you understand a very important part of who she is, to show your empathy.” I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
    To see more usage examples of "empathy," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "empathy" and "sympathy," click here.
  7. sympathy
    sharing the feelings of others, especially sorrow or anguish
    All I could do was hope my saddest possible stitched-up-lost-puppy-injury look might earn me some sympathy. Winger
    To see more usage examples of "sympathy," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "empathy" and "sympathy," click here.
  8. faze
    disturb the composure of
    You know you’ve been here for a while when weird stuff like that doesn’t even faze you. Amari and the Night Brothers
    To see more usage examples of "faze," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "faze" and "phase," click here.
  9. phase
    any distinct time period in a sequence of events
    The plan had three phases: dangerous, really dangerous, and insanely dangerous. The House of Hades
    To see more usage examples of "phase," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "faze" and "phase," click here.
  10. historic
    important in recorded time
    The fall of the Berlin Wall was a loud historic event that nobody missed. The World Is Flat
    To see more usage examples of "historic," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "historic" and "historical," click here.
  11. historical
    belonging to the past
    However, historians and historical scientists do make and test predictions about what future discoveries of data will show us about past events. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
    To see more usage examples of "historical," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "historic" and "historical," click here.
  12. hone
    refine or make more perfect or effective
    It is now your duty to hone that talent, because a person who wastes his God-given talents is a donkey. The Kite Runner
    To see more usage examples of "hone," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "hone" and "home," click here.
  13. home in
    direct onto a target, especially by navigational aids
    The rest homed in on Jason, wrapping him like a rodeo calf and yanking him upside down. The House of Hades
    To see more usage examples of "home," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "hone" and "home," click here.
Created on Tue May 27 15:08:30 EDT 2025

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