10 Pairs of Subtly Different Words

Many people use the following pairs of words interchangeably, thereby depriving themselves and the listener of the appropriate nuance.

And it matters. As James Clear stresses in his book on habit-formation, Atomic Habits, small improvements can add up to big results. And indeed, using the right word consistently can greatly clarify communication, which is core not only to psychology but to most accomplishment, professional and personal. My Psychology Today article today lists 10 pairs of words that are often used interchangeably . . . but shouldn't be.