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PSAT: Commonly Confused Words: List 2

Learn the correct meanings and usages of these commonly confused words you may encounter on the PSAT exam.
10 words 293 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

  1. optimistic
    hopeful that the best will happen in the future
    I suppose he had reason to be optimistic—he’d been given a second chance at life, at hope. Code Name Verity
    To see more usage examples of "optimistic," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "optimistic" and "pessimistic," click here.
  2. pessimistic
    expecting the worst possible outcome
    That same pessimistic voice in my mind spoke up then, reminding me that I probably wouldn’t have a chance against one of them, and there were four. Twilight
    To see more usage examples of "pessimistic," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "optimistic" and "pessimistic," click here.
  3. callus
    a skin area that is thick or hard from continual pressure
    Her feet had calluses on them, the result of martial-arts training. The Hot Zone
    To see more usage examples of "callus," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "callus" and "callous," click here.
  4. callous
    emotionally hardened
    Has she already forgotten how terrible Brady’s death was, or is she so callous that she just doesn’t care? Dry
    To see more usage examples of "callous," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "callus" and "callous," click here.
  5. fictional
    related to or involving imaginative literary work
    The world’s most famous fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, said that once you have eliminated all the possibilities, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true. The London Eye Mystery
    To see more usage examples of "fictional," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "fictional," "fictitious" and "fictive," click here.
  6. fictitious
    adopted in order to deceive
    The companies are accused of creating accounts in the names of family members, friends and fictitious individuals and using hundreds of credit cards to snap up the best seats at sporting events and concerts. New York Times
    To see more usage examples of "fictitious," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "fictional," "fictitious" and "fictive," click here.
  7. fictive
    capable of or relating to imaginative creation
    Most video games are built on a physics engine, a set of hard-coded rules for how a fictive world works. The New Yorker
    To see more usage examples of "fictive," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "fictional," "fictitious" and "fictive," click here.
  8. irony
    incongruity between what might be expected and what occurs
    This is the irony: Even though I wake up in a different body every morning, I’ve always felt in some way that I am in control. Every Day
    To see more usage examples of "irony," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "irony," "satire" and "sarcasm," click here.
  9. satire
    a literary genre that uses humor to ridicule human failings and vices
    “I always used the zombie as a character for satire or a political criticism,” Romero told Britain’s The Big Issue, “and I find that missing in what’s happening now.” Time
    To see more usage examples of "satire," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "irony," "satire" and "sarcasm," click here.
  10. sarcasm
    witty language used to convey insults or scorn
    “Ah, we have a funny one,” Meir said with dry sarcasm, although I hadn’t been joking. The City Beautiful
    To see more usage examples of "sarcasm," click here.
    To learn more about the commonly confused words "irony," "satire" and "sarcasm," click here.
Created on Thu Jun 05 11:26:21 EDT 2025 (updated Thu Jun 05 11:27:06 EDT 2025)

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