Some English words appear to be similar but they have different meanings. Here are some of them:
Likely / liable
Something that is likely will probably happen or is probably true.
Showers are likely tomorrow.
‘Liable’ means ‘likely to do or say something or to behave in a particular way, especially because of a fault or natural tendency.’
Your car is liable to overheat on long trips.
Liquidate / liquidise
‘Liquidate’ means ‘to close business or company and sell the things that belong to it, in order to pay its debts.’
‘Liquidise’ means ‘to crush fruits or vegetables into a thick liquid.’
Literal / literary / literate / literally
The literal meaning of a word or expression is its basic or original meaning.
A trade war is not a war in the literal sense.
‘Literary’ means ‘relating to literature’
Johnston is interested in literary criticism.
‘Literate’ means ‘able to read and write.’
Most people in Sri Lanka are literate today.
‘Literally’ means ‘according to the most basic or original meaning of a word or expression.’
The name of the cheese is Dolcelatte, literally meaning ‘sweet milk.’
Livid / lurid
‘Livid’ means ‘extremely angry.’
Grace was livid that her husband had lied.
A story that is lurid is deliberately shocking and involves violence.
Rex told her in lurid details what would happen to her.
Loath / loathe
‘Loath’ means ‘to be unwilling to do something.’
Jennifer was loath to tell her mother what had happened.
‘Loathe’ is to hate someone or something very much.
The old professor loathed politics.
Location / locality
A location is a place where something is sited.
A locality is a neighbourhood area or district.
Look up / look up to
If a situation is looking up, it is improving.
The tourism industry is looking up with more tourists arriving in the island.
‘Look up to’ means ‘to admire or respect someone.’
People look up to the Prime Minister for his courage and determination.
Loose / lose
‘Loose’ means ‘not firmly fastened in a place.’
This tooth feels very loose.
If you lose something, you no longer have it.
Many people lost their homes in the floods.
Low / lowly
‘Low’ means ‘small or smaller than usual, in amount, level or value.’
Today there is a need for low-cost housing.
‘Lowly’ means ‘low in rank, importance or social class.’
Roy was a lowly assistant gardener.
Lumbar / lumber
The lumbar region is at the lower end of the spine.
Lumber is sawn timber.
Luxuriant / luxurious
‘Luxuriant’ means ‘growing strongly and thickly.’
Brenda is proud of her luxuriant black hair.
‘Luxurious’ means ‘very expensive, beautiful, and comfortable.’
They live in a luxurious villa in Kandy.
The Mafia / mafia
The Mafia is a large organised group of criminals who controls many illegal activities in Italy. A mafia is a powerful group of people within an organisation or profession who supports and protects each other.
Some people say there is a medical mafia in our country.
Malevolent / malicious
A malevolent person wants to harm other people.
The stranger gave her a malevolent look.
‘Malicious’ means ‘very unkind and cruel, and deliberately behaving in a way that is likely to upset or hurt other people’
Who is responsible for such malicious rumours?