alot

a lot

no such word

“a lot” is always two words

EXAMPLE: A lot of athletes are taking steroids these days.

 

accept



except

verb:  “to receive”

EXAMPLE: Please accept my sincere apology

preposition: “other than”; also a verb meaning “to leave out.

EXAMPLE: Everyone passed except me.

 

advise



advice

verb: “to give advice”

EXAMPLE: Please advise me about my options.

noun: an “opinion” or “a piece of helpful information”

EXAMPLE: My best advice is to do nothing.

 

affect


 
effect

verb: “to influence”

EXAMPLE: How do my grades affect my chances?

verb: “to bring about”; also a noun meaning “a result”

EXAMPLE: Global warming is one effect of industrialization.

 

aisle



isle

noun: a corridor for walking

EXAMPLE: The bride looked lovely as she walked down the aisle.

noun: an island

EXAMPLE: The newly weds spent their honeymoon on a tropical isle.

 

all right



alright
 

preferred usage

EXAMPLE: It’s all right with me if you decide not to go.

becoming acceptable usage

all together



altogether

pronoun: means a unified group

EXAMPLE: Let’s travel all together in one car.

adverb: “completely

EXAMPLE: What you did was altogether wrong.

 

among



between

preposition: implies three or more persons or things

EXAMPLE: The candidate walked among the people.
 
preposition: implies two persons or things

EXAMPLE: Just between you and me, why did you say that?



 

amount



number

noun: used with a quantity that cannot be counted

EXAMPLE: We’ve received a huge amount of snow this winter

noun: used with things that can be counted

EXAMPLE: We’ve received a large number of phone calls on the issue

 

an



and




a

 

indefinite article: used before nouns starting with a vowel

EXAMPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

conj: used to connect two equal items

EXAMPLE: The recent storms and troubles at the refinery both contribute to the problem.

indefinite article: used before nouns starting with a consonant

EXAMPLE: My pets are a cat and a dog.

 

assure



insure

 

verb: to state with confidence

EXAMPLE: I assure you that Abraham Lincoln was killed by an actor.

verb: to protect against loss or “to make certain”

EXAMPLE: Having the most wins will insure us home court advantage in the playoffs.

 

attribute



contribute

verb: to give credit to

EXAMPLE: To what do you attribute your living till 90?

verb: “to give”; “to add to”

EXAMPLE: I try to contribute to good causes whenever I have the money.