Confusable words

Some English words appear to be similar but they have different meanings. Here are some of them:
Spasmodic / sporadic
‘Spasmodic’ means ‘happening for short irregular periods, not continuously, as in spasmodic machine gun fire.’
‘Sporadic’ means ‘happening fairly often but not regularly.’
There has been sporadic violence in the North.
Specious / spurious
‘Specious’ means ‘seeming to be true or correct, but actually false, as in specious arguments.’
A spurious statement or argument is not based on facts or good thinking and is likely to be incorrect.
The minister demolished the Opposition’s spurious arguments.
Spectrum / range
A spectrum is a range of opinion, people, or situations going from one extreme to its opposite.
The bill drew support from across the political spectrum.
‘Range’ means ‘a number of people or things that are all different, but are all of the same general type.’
The drug is effective against a range of bacteria.
‘Spectrum’ and ‘range’ are synonyms.
Stammer / stutter
‘Stammer’ means ‘to speak with a lot of pauses and repeated sounds, either because you have a speech problem, or because you are nervous or excited.’
Ben stammered out an apology.
‘Stutter’ means ‘to speak with difficulty because you cannot stop yourself from repeating the first consonant of some words, as in nervous stutter.’
‘Stammer’ and ‘stutter’ are synonyms.
Stimulant / stimulus
A stimulant is a drug or substance that makes you feel more active and full of energy, as in artificial stimulants.
A stimulus is something that helps a person to develop more quickly or more strongly.
Tax cuts provided the stimulus which the slow economy needed.
‘Stimulant’ and ‘stimulus’ are synonyms.
Stolid / solid
Someone who is stolid does not react to situations or seem excited by them when most people would react.
‘Solid’ means ‘hard or firm, with a fixed shape, and not a liquid or gas, as in solid food.’
Story / storey
A story is a tale or narrative.
A storey is a floor or level in a building.
Straight / strait
Something that is straight does not bend or curve, as in a straight road.
A strait is a narrow passage of water between two areas of land, usually connecting two seas, as in the Berin Strait.
Strategy / stratagem
‘Strategy’ means ‘a planned series of actions for achieving something, as in long-term economic strategy.’
A stratagem is a trick or plan to deceive an enemy or gain an advantage.
Struck / stricken
‘Struck’ is the past tense and past participle of ‘strike.’
‘Stricken’ means ‘very badly affected by trouble, illness or unhappiness.’ Fire broke out on the stricken ship.
Style / stile
‘Style’ means ‘a particular way of doing, designing, or producing something, especially one that is typical of a particular place, period of time, or group of people, as in Japanese management style.’
A stile is a set of steps that helps people climb over a fence in the countryside.
Subconscious / unconscious
Subconscious feelings or desires are hidden in your mind and affect your behaviour, but you do not know that you have them.
‘Unconscious’ means ‘unable to see, move or feel in the normal way because you are not conscious.’
Norma was found alive but unconscious.
Substitute / replace
‘Substitute’ means ‘to use something new or different instead of something else.’
You can substitute yoghurt for the sour cream.
‘Replace’ means ‘to start doing something instead of another person, or start being used instead of another thing.’
Lectures have replaced the old tutorial system.
Succeed / follow
‘Succeed’ means ‘to be the next person to take a position or job after someone else.’
Reeves will succeed Segal as Speaker of the House.
‘Follow’ means ‘to go, walk or drive behind or after someone else.’
They are following us.
Suit / suite
A suit is a set of clothes made of the same material, usually including a jacket with trousers or a skirt, as in a business suit.
A suite is a set of rooms, especially expensive ones in a hotel.
Supersede / surpass
If a new idea, product or method supersedes another one, it becomes used instead because it is more modern or effective.
‘Surpass’ means ‘to be even better or greater than someone or something else.’
Jack has surpassed all our expectations.
Swot / swat
‘Swot’ means ‘to study a lot in a short time, especially for an examination.’ ‘Swat’ means ‘to hit an insect in order to kill it.’