1. words that are similar in sound, spelling, or origin but have different meanings
Usage: linguistics; plural form

Examples

• The paronyms ‘affect’ and ‘effect’ are frequently confused by students.
• Teachers often create exercises to help students distinguish between paronyms.
• Common paronyms in English include ‘accept’ and ‘except’.
• The spelling checker couldn’t catch the error because the writer used paronyms.
• Linguists study paronyms to understand how similar words develop different meanings.
• Many paronyms exist between ‘compliment’ and ‘complement’.
• Students should practice using paronyms correctly in their writing.