15 Common TOEIC Vocabulary Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Why Vocabulary Mistakes Happen

The TOEIC test is designed to catch common errors. Understanding these patterns helps you avoid traps and choose correct answers confidently.

Confusing Similar Words

1. Affect vs. Effect

Affect (verb): to influence Effect (noun): a result

❌ "The new policy will effect employee productivity." ✅ "The new policy will affect employee productivity."

TOEIC Tip: In 95% of cases, "affect" is a verb and "effect" is a noun.

2. Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure

Assure: to tell someone something with confidence (assure a person) Ensure: to make certain something happens (ensure a result) Insure: to provide financial protection (insure property)

❌ "Please assure that all documents are submitted." ✅ "Please ensure that all documents are submitted."

3. Compliment vs. Complement

Compliment: praise or admiration Complement: something that completes or goes well with

❌ "The wine compliments the meal perfectly." ✅ "The wine complements the meal perfectly."

4. Principal vs. Principle

Principal: main/chief (adjective) or head of school (noun) Principle: a fundamental rule or belief

❌ "Cost reduction is our principle objective." ✅ "Cost reduction is our principal objective."

5. Stationary vs. Stationery

Stationary: not moving Stationery: paper and office supplies

❌ "Please order more stationary for the office." ✅ "Please order more stationery for the office."

False Friends for Non-Native Speakers

6. Actually vs. Currently

Actually: in fact, really (correcting a misconception) Currently: at the present time

❌ "I'm actually working on the report." (meaning: now) ✅ "I'm currently working on the report."

7. Eventually vs. Possibly

Eventually: finally, after a long time Possibly: maybe, perhaps (NOT "eventually" in many languages)

❌ "The shipment will eventually arrive tomorrow." ✅ "The shipment will possibly arrive tomorrow."

8. Sensible vs. Sensitive

Sensible: practical, reasonable Sensitive: easily affected, delicate

❌ "This is sensitive approach to the problem." ✅ "This is a sensible approach to the problem."

Tricky Collocations

9. Make vs. Do

Make: create, produce, or cause

• make a decision, make progress, make a mistake, make an effort

Do: perform an action

• do business, do research, do work, do damage

❌ "We need to do a decision by Friday." ✅ "We need to make a decision by Friday."

10. Say vs. Tell

Say: say something (no person directly after) Tell: tell someone (person directly after)

❌ "She said me the meeting was postponed." ✅ "She told me the meeting was postponed."

11. Rise vs. Raise

Rise: go up (no object) - rise, rose, risen Raise: lift something up (needs object) - raise, raised, raised

❌ "The company will rise prices next quarter." ✅ "The company will raise prices next quarter."

12. Remember vs. Remind

Remember: recall from memory (you remember) Remind: cause someone to remember (you remind someone)

❌ "Please remember me to send the invoice." ✅ "Please remind me to send the invoice."

Preposition Errors

13. Depend on (not "of")

❌ "The outcome depends of market conditions." ✅ "The outcome depends on market conditions."

14. Interested in (not "for")

❌ "We are interested for your proposal." ✅ "We are interested in your proposal."

15. Responsible for (not "of")

❌ "She is responsible of the marketing department." ✅ "She is responsible for the marketing department."

Quick Reference Table

Incorrect	Correct	Context
effect (v.)	affect	The change will _____ sales
assure results	ensure results	Make certain outcomes happen
principle goal	principal goal	Main objective
actually (= now)	currently	At the present time
do a decision	make a decision	Choose an option
said me	told me	Communicate to someone
depends of	depends on	Relying on something
responsible of	responsible for	In charge of

Pattern Recognition for TOEIC

The test often presents options with similar-looking words. Train yourself to:

1. Read all options before choosing
2. Identify the word type needed (noun, verb, adjective)
3. Check collocations (what words naturally go together)
4. Watch for prepositions after key words
5. Consider context for meaning distinctions

Practice Strategy

Week 1-2: Awareness

• Read through this list daily
• Notice these words in your reading
• Mark them when you encounter them

Week 3-4: Active Practice

• Create sentences using each pair
• Test yourself on the differences
• Use flashcards for problem pairs

Week 5+: Application

• Take practice tests focusing on these areas
• Review any mistakes involving these words
• Build a personal list of your problem words

The 80/20 of TOEIC Vocabulary Mistakes

These 15 errors account for a disproportionate number of wrong answers. Master them, and you'll avoid common traps that catch many test-takers.

Remember: TOEIC rewards precision. Knowing the subtle differences between similar words separates good scores from great ones.