Words Even Teachers Get Wrong

Join a global community of over 200,000 TEFL teachers working throughout the world! Enrol me!

We’re English teachers and we’re expected to know our stuff when it comes to the language. Of course, there may be finer points of grammar which we are not totally comfortable with but those things we learn with time, experience and research.

Having said that, there are a few words which we have noticed that EFL teachers get wrong again and again, which probably means that there is a general misunderstanding regarding their usage and meaning.

So we thought we’d do you a favour and clarify these tricky words so that you don’t have to worry about making these mistakes:

Loose vs lose

Loose (adj) – opposite of tight
Because he had lost weight, the shirt was now very loose.
Lose (v) – opposite of win
He always loses money when he goes gambling.

Accept vs except

Accept (v) – to receive
She was very gracious when she accepted the award.
Except (prep) – to exclude
I invited the whole class to the party except Billy.

Desert vs dessert

Desert (n) – big, dry, sandy area
If you go to Dubai you can go sandboarding in the desert.
Dessert (n) – deliciousness usually eaten after dinner
Sarah always has ice cream for dessert.

Bear vs bare

Bear (n) – big, hairy, scary animal
(v) – to carry something or put up with something
John can’t bear the smell of strawberries.
If you go out tonight bear in mind it might get cold.
Bare (adj) – naked
Children often walk around with bare feet.

Isle vs aisle

Isle (n) – a small island
For my last holiday I went to the Isle of Wight.
Aisle (n) – the corridor in an airplane or supermarket
On a flight I always choose the aisle seat.

Elicit vs illicit

Elicit (v) – what we do a lot in the TEFL classroom, to draw out or obtain
I kept giving hints until I had elicited the correct answers.
Illicit (adj) – illegal, disapproved of for moral reasons
He can get into trouble for his illicit behaviour.

Hopefully now that we’ve cleared that up, you’ll no longer find yourself getting confused or making these mistakes in the EFL classroom or in your everyday life.

Get Social

Follow us on social networks, join our newsletter - get the latest news and early discounts

Sign up to our newsletter

Follow us on social networks, sign up to our e-newsletters – get the latest news and early discounts

Accreditation Partners

The TEFL Academy was the world’s first TEFL course provider to receive official recognition from government regulated awarding bodies in both the USA and UK. This means when you graduate you’ll hold a globally recognised Level 3 (120hr) Certificate or Level 5 (168hr) Diploma, meaning you can find work anywhere and apply for jobs immediately.

Product added to your cart

You have added to your cart:

Request call back

    Please leave your details below and one of our TEFL experts will get back to you ASAP:

    captchaType characters on the left:

    Would you like us to update you on TEFL opportunities, jobs and related products & services?

    Yes, keep me updatedNo, but thanks anyway!

    Thank you! Your message has been sent!

    Download the TEFL World Factbook

      Please enter your details in order to download the latest TEFL World Factbook.

      Would you like us to update you on TEFL opportunities, jobs and related products & services?

      Yes, keep me updatedNo, but thanks anyway!

      Thank you for downloading the TEFL World Factbook!

      If the TEFL World Factbook did not download
      > Click Here To Download <

      Download the Online Teaching Guide

        Please enter your details in order to download our Online Teaching Guide.

        Would you like us to update you on TEFL opportunities, jobs and related products & services?

        Yes, keep me updatedNo, but thanks anyway!

        Thank you for downloading our Online Teaching Guide!

        If the Online Teaching Guide did not download
        > Click Here To Download <

        Download Prospectus

          Please enter your details in order to download our latest prospectus.

          Would you like us to update you on TEFL opportunities, jobs and related products & services?

          Yes, keep me updatedNo, but thanks anyway!

          Thank you for downloading our prospectus!

          We hope you enjoy reading our prospectus, we have tried to make it as useful as possible! Please get in touch if you have any questions.

          If the prospectus did not download automatically
          > Click Here To Download <

          $
          $