Frequently Misused Terms From: autumnegrammar.com ability/capacity: ability is the state of being able to do something and capacity is the highest ability within. about/approximately: about is more incise and approximately is more close to exact. accept/except: accept means to receive on your own terms where as except means to exclude something. access/excess: access is the ability to approach and excess means too much of something (a surplus). adverse/averse: adverse is means harmful or not in your favour and averse means a distasteful feeling. advise/advise: advice is an opinion of what should be done where as advise is offering suggestions. adopt/adapt: adopt means to claim as your own where as adapt means means to adjust *affect/effect: affect means to influence or change where as effect means to bring about (verb) or result (noun) all ready/already: all ready means prepared and already means something that has happened. all together/altogether: all together means in unison where as altogether means completely. allude/elude: allude is to refer non-directly and elude means to avoid or escape. *allusion/illusion: allusion is an indirect reference or hit where as illusion is an incorrect view on something. altar/alter: altar is a sacred table where as alter is to change. *among/between: between introduces two items and among introduces more than two items. *elicit/illicit: elicit means to draw out/evoke where are illicit means not permitted.