Tricky Sixth Grade Word Pairs: Tricky Word Pairs, List 3

Learn the correct meanings and usages of these commonly confused words for sixth-grade students.
10 words 51 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. instant
    occurring with no delay
    Even when our avatars were doing other things, we were sending e-mails and instant messages to each other. Ready Player One: A Novel
    To see more usage examples of "instant," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "instant" and "instance," click here.
  2. instance
    an occurrence of something
    And in a rare instance the Law Society was ordered to pay its own costs. Long Walk to Freedom
    To see more usage examples of "instance," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "instant" and "instance," click here.
  3. hale
    exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health
    This is why the people of the Protectorate are healthy and hale and shining. The Girl Who Drank the Moon
    To see more usage examples of "hale," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "hale" and "hail," click here.
  4. hail
    precipitation of ice pellets
    Outside my room, the rain and hail were smashing into our windows. Everything Sad Is Untrue
    To see more usage examples of "hail," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "hale" and "hail," click here.
  5. mean
    an average computed by adding some function of the numbers
    On the IQ scale, whose mean value is 100 points, girls who had had regular bedtimes scored between eight and nine points more than those who did not. Economist
    To see more usage examples of "mean," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "mean," "median" and "average," click here.
  6. median
    relating to the middle value of an ordered set of values
    The neighborhood’s median income was about $15,000 a year, well less than half the U.S. average. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
    To see more usage examples of "median," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "mean," "median" and "average," click here.
  7. average
    an intermediate scale value regarded as normal or usual
    It’s only eleven o’clock, but the average bedtime in Lanternwood is probably closer to eight thirty, which might explain why we don’t run into anyone. How to Disappear Completely
    To see more usage examples of "average," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "mean," "median" and "average," click here.
  8. peddle
    sell or offer for sale from place to place
    On weekends, the couple peddled their ice cream at street fairs.
    – New York Times
    To see more usage examples of "peddle," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "peddle," "pedal" and "petal," click here.
  9. pedal
    ride a bicycle
    He got back on his bike and started to pedal. The Missing Mitt (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #2)
    To see more usage examples of "pedal," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "peddle," "pedal" and "petal," click here.
  10. petal
    part of the perianth that is usually brightly colored
    Seven crouched down near one of the flowers and touched its petals softly. Witchlings
    To see more usage examples of "petal," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "peddle," "pedal" and "petal," click here.
Created on Mon Jun 02 10:21:10 EDT 2025

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