TOEFL Vocabulary: Confusing Words Exercise

Look at these words that are often confused. For each question, choose the best word to fill the gap.

1. When the traffic police stopped her she was ______ the speed limit by 30 miles per hour.

acceding

exceeding

2. Thomas was already ______ at using a computer when he was just seven years old.

adapt

adept

3. Thank you so much for the ______ you gave us for our visits. We enjoyed our holiday here and your suggestions were very helpful.

advice

advise

4. The poor weather will ______ the quality of the grapes this year, and thus the quality of the wine produced from the vines.

effect

affect

5. Should students be ______ to use their mobile phones in school?

allowed

aloud

6. A rainbow is an optical ______ so it doesn't in reality have an end.

illusion

allusion

7. By the end of the long summer holidays, the children were starting to get ______ and were even looking forward to going back to school.

board

bored

8. It's a good idea to ______ your valuables with a good insurance company.

insure

assure