English word pairs that confuse you

pronounced with a “z” sound – is a verb meaning to not have something anymore, to be unable to find something or to not win. You lose your cell phone, or you lose your way while driving somewhere.

with an “s” sound – on the other hand, is an adjective that means free, unattached, or not tight. It’s also a verb meaning to untie or let go of something.
e.g. The door handle fell off because it was too loose.

without the hyphen — means to quit your job and the “s” is pronounced like a “z.”

My boss didn’t want to increase my salary, so I decided to resign. This will be my last week of work.

with the hyphen — means to sign a contract again and it usually also means that you’ve decided to stay in your current job! In re-sign, the “s” is pronounced as an “s,” and you emphasize the first syllable.

with an “s” sound — is a noun. You can give your friend some advice.

My father gave me one piece of advice – “Always be on time.”

with a “z” sound — is a verb. With this word, you can advise your friend. The meaning of the two words is the same.

She advised me to invest my money more carefully.

Usually, affect is a verb and effect is a noun, and they’re used when talking about the results or consequences of actions.

I’m worried that your lazy habits will affect your studies (your lazy habits will have a bad effect on your studies).