Lesson · V.3.3

Commonly confused words

The word pairs the HESI A2 Vocabulary subtest leans on most, imply/infer, discrete/discreet, elicit/illicit, and more, with the one distinction that separates each pair.

ObjectiveV.3.3Read4 minExam weightHealth and Academic Vocabulary ≈ 38% of Vocabulary

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What you will be able to do

You can tell apart the half dozen word pairs the HESI A2 most often tests against each other.
You can name who does the implying and who does the inferring in any exchange.
You can pick the correct spelling of a confused pair from a single defining clue in the sentence.

What the lesson concludes

Most confused pairs sound alike or look alike but split cleanly on one detail, who is acting, which direction, or which part of speech.
Imply belongs to the speaker; infer belongs to the listener. That single rule resolves the pair every time.
Discrete means separate; discreet means tactful. The spelling difference, the doubled ee in discreet, is your only visual anchor.
Elicit is a verb meaning to draw out; illicit is an adjective meaning against the rules. They are never interchangeable.
When two words are this close, do not guess from memory alone. Rebuild the one rule that splits them, then apply it to the sentence in front of you.