English has a wonderful habit of making simple things unnecessarily confusing. Why is something fun but not necessarily funny? Why are you embarrassed when something is embarrassing? And what’s the difference between bored and boring?
Welcome to the world of confusing adjectives in English, where two words can look almost identical but mean very different things. If you’ve ever mixed up a pair of adjectives and hoped nobody noticed, you’re in the right place!
Explore these commonly confused words, discover the difference between them, and learn how to use them correctly with simple explanations and examples.
What are confusing adjectives?
Confusing adjectives are words that look or sound similar but have different meanings or uses. They can be tricky for English learners because a small change in a word can make a big difference to what you’re trying to say.
For example, if you describe a film as fun, you mean you enjoyed yourself. If you describe it as funny, you mean it made you laugh. Get the two mixed up and you might accidentally tell someone that a hilarious comedy was enjoyable without actually being amusing!
Commonly Confused Adjectives in English
Let’s look at some adjective pairs that regularly trip people up. Each pair has a simple explanation and examples to help you remember which word to use.
alone vs lonely
Ever fancied a bit of peace and quiet, only to realise you’ve got nobody to talk to? Or perhaps you’ve been surrounded by people all day but still felt a bit left out? These situations might sound similar, but there’s a difference between being alone and feeling lonely!
Alone means being by yourself, without anyone else around. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re sad or unhappy. Sometimes, being alone is exactly what you need, especially when Dave won’t stop talking about his fantasy football team!
- I love spending time alone with a good book and a cup of tea.
- Sarah was home alone all weekend, so she watched films and ate pizza in her pyjamas.
Lonely describes feeling sad because you have no company or feel disconnected from other people. You can feel lonely even when you’re surrounded by others.
- Dave felt lonely after moving to a new town where he didn’t know anyone.
- Even though Sarah was at a party full of people, she felt lonely because nobody was talking to her.
Easy way to remember: Alone describes your situation; lonely describes how you feel about it. You can be alone and perfectly happy, enjoying your own company. But if you’re lonely, you might be wishing someone would pop round for a cuppa – preferably someone who doesn’t spend three hours talking about fantasy football!
boring vs bored
Ever been stuck listening to someone talk about their stamp collection for three hours? You might be bored! But what’s the difference between boring and bored?
Boring describes something or someone that makes you feel uninterested. It’s the thing causing the boredom.
- The film was so boring that I nearly fell asleep.
- Dave is boring everyone with his holiday photos.
Bored describes how someone feels when they aren’t interested or entertained.
- I’m so bored! There’s nothing to do.
- The children were bored during the long car journey.
Easy way to remember: something is boring; someone feels bored. Of course, you can also describe a person as boring if they make other people lose the will to live through endless tales about their stamp collection!
embarrassing vs embarrassed
Ever waved back at someone who wasn’t waving at you? Or called your teacher “Mum” in front of the whole class? Oh, the shame! You’d probably feel embarrassed. But what’s the difference between embarrassing and embarrassed?
Embarrassing describes something or someone that makes you feel awkward, ashamed or uncomfortable. It’s the thing causing the embarrassment.
- It was so embarrassing when I tripped over my own feet in front of everyone.
- Dave’s mum keeps showing his baby photos to his new girlfriend. How embarrassing!
Embarrassed describes how someone feels when they’re awkward, ashamed or uncomfortable because of something that has happened.
- I was so embarrassed when I called my teacher “Mum”.
- Sarah looked embarrassed when everyone started singing “Happy Birthday” to her.
Easy way to remember: The situation is embarrassing; the person feels embarrassed. If you accidentally send a message moaning about your boss to your boss, that’s embarrassing. And the person who sent it? Very, very embarrassed!
exciting vs excited
Ever booked a holiday, bought tickets to see your favourite band, or found out your team is playing in a cup final? You might be bouncing off the walls! But what’s the difference between exciting and excited?
Exciting describes something or someone that makes you feel enthusiastic or eager. It’s the thing causing the excitement.
- The football match was so exciting that I couldn’t sit still.
- We’re going on holiday tomorrow. How exciting!
Excited describes how someone feels when they’re looking forward to something or can’t wait for it to happen.
- I’m so excited about my holiday!
- The children were excited when they saw the presents under the Christmas tree.
Easy way to remember: Something is exciting; someone feels excited. Winning the lottery would be exciting. And if you won, you’d probably be so excited you’d do a victory dance in your pyjamas!
fun vs funny
Ever spent an afternoon with your friends laughing, playing games and generally having a brilliant time? Sounds like fun! But if your friend turns up wearing their trousers backwards, that might be funny! So, what’s the difference between fun and funny?
Fun describes something enjoyable that makes you have a good time. It’s the sort of thing that leaves you wishing the day would never end!
- The party was great fun. We danced until midnight!
- We had so much fun at the beach, even though Dave got chased by a seagull.
Funny describes something that makes you laugh or seems amusing. It can also describe something strange or unusual.
- That comedian is really funny. I nearly fell off my chair laughing!
- Dave looked funny wearing his trousers backwards, but he insisted it was the latest fashion.
Easy way to remember: Fun means you’re having a good time; funny means something makes you laugh or seems strange. Playing silly games with your friends is fun. Watching Dave try to explain why he’s wearing his pants backwards? That’s funny!
high vs tall
Ever looked up at a skyscraper and wondered how on earth anyone cleans those windows? It’s high up! But if your mate is so tall they have to duck to get through doorways, that’s a different story. So, what’s the difference between high and tall?
High describes something that is a long way above the ground or at a great height. We often use it for things like mountains, walls, shelves and prices. It’s all about how far up something is!
- The cat climbed onto a high wall and now refuses to come down.
- House prices are so high that Dave is considering moving into a tent.
Tall describes something or someone with a greater height from bottom to top, especially people, trees and buildings.
- My brother is so tall that he has to duck under the kitchen doorway.
- That’s a tall tree! I hope the gardener brought a very long ladder.
Easy way to remember: High is about how far up something is; tall is about how high something or someone stands from bottom to top. A bird perched on a high branch is a long way above the ground. A tall tree is the reason that branch is up there in the first place!
sick vs ill
Ever eaten something dodgy and spent the night hugging the toilet? You might feel sick! Or perhaps you’ve caught a nasty bug and need to spend a few days in bed. You’re probably ill. But what’s the difference between sick and ill?
Sick describes feeling unwell, especially when you feel like you might vomit. It can also mean being generally unwell.
- I felt sick after eating three helpings of Dave’s experimental curry.
- The sight of the roller coaster made me feel sick before I’d even got on it!
Ill describes being unwell, usually because of an illness or medical condition. It often suggests you’re poorly enough to need rest or treatment.
- I’m too ill to go to work today, so I’m staying in bed with a mountain of tissues.
- Sarah was ill for a week and missed the school trip.
Easy way to remember: Sick can mean feeling nauseous, while ill usually means being unwell. If Dave’s questionable curry makes your stomach do backflips, you might feel sick. If you’re stuck in bed for three days afterwards, you’re definitely ill!
tired vs tiring
Ever spent the whole day chasing after the kids, cleaning the house or listening to Dave explain his fantasy football team for the hundredth time? You might be absolutely exhausted! But is the day tiring, or are you tired? Let’s clear up the confusion!
Tired describes how someone feels when they have little energy and need to rest or sleep.
- I’m absolutely tired after walking the dogs all morning.
- Sarah was so tired that she put the milk in the cupboard and the cereal in the fridge!
Tiring describes something that makes you feel tired or exhausted. It’s the thing that uses up all your energy.
- Looking after six toddlers all day is really tiring. I need a lie-down just thinking about it!
- That five-hour meeting was so tiring that Dave fell asleep before we’d even reached the end.
Easy way to remember: Something is tiring; someone feels tired. Running a marathon is tiring. And when you’ve crossed the finish line, you’ll probably be too tired to do anything except lie on the floor and question all your life choices!
The -ed vs -ing Rule: An Easy Way to Remember
Many adjective pairs ending in -ed and -ing follow a useful pattern. The -ed form often describes how someone feels, while the -ing form often describes the person or thing that causes that feeling.
For example:
- I’m bored because the film is boring.
- She’s excited because the trip is exciting.
- He’s confused because the instructions are confusing.
Remember, it’s not simply people versus things! A person can be boring, frightening or embarrassing if they cause those feelings in others.
Easy way to remember: -ed = the feeling; -ing = what causes it.
This is a helpful pattern, but it doesn’t apply to every adjective pair. Learning each word in a sentence is one of the best ways to understand how it works.
Test Your Knowledge of Confusing Adjectives
Think you’ve got these confusing adjectives sorted? It’s time to put your knowledge to the test!
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Further Learning
Enjoyed untangling these confusing adjectives? There’s plenty more to discover about the little quirks of English!
If you’d like to brush up on your grammar, take a look at our Adverbs of Frequency page to learn how words such as always, usually and sometimes help us talk about how often things happen. You can also explore Regular Verbs and get to grips with the different ways we use verbs in English.
And if you enjoy discovering how easily English words can get mixed up, our Eggcorns, Mondegreens and Spoonerisms pages are full of amusing examples of words and phrases that don’t always come out quite as expected.
There’s always another English oddity waiting to trip you up – but at least now you’ll be a little harder to confuse!