15 Easily Confused GRE Words
Confused GRE words are best learned as contrasts. State the exact difference, then write a sentence where swapping the words changes the claim.
Several words below come directly from ETS public samples; their partners expose a nearby trap. The goal is not to memorize look-alike spellings. It is to notice differences in force, direction, and scope.
obscure / abstruse
Obscure can mean hidden or unclear. Abstruse specifically means difficult to understand.
eminent / imminent
Eminent means distinguished. Imminent means about to happen.
ameliorate / exacerbate
Ameliorate makes better. Exacerbate makes worse.
ascertain / assume
Ascertain means determine from evidence. Assume means accept without proof.
plausible / probable
Plausible means believable. Probable makes the stronger claim that something is likely.
conventional / convenient
Conventional follows custom. Convenient suits a need with little difficulty.
orthodox / ordinary
Orthodox follows accepted doctrine. Ordinary simply means not unusual.
eccentric / eclectic
Eccentric is unconventional. Eclectic draws from varied sources.
invalidate / contradict
Contradiction creates conflict. Invalidation shows a claim cannot stand.
illuminate / illustrate
Illuminate clarifies. Illustrate supplies an example or image.
underscore / undermine
Underscore emphasizes. Undermine weakens.
superficial / superfluous
Superficial lacks depth. Superfluous is unnecessary.
precarious / precocious
Precarious is unstable. Precocious describes unusually early development.
relentless / relevant
Relentless does not ease. Relevant bears directly on the matter.
trifling / trivialize
Trifling describes something minor. To trivialize is to make something seem minor.
Meaning traps matter more than spelling traps
GRE questions often tempt you with a word that points in roughly the right direction but has the wrong strength. Plausible does not mean proven. Obscure does not always mean intellectually difficult. Contradict does not automatically mean invalidate.
A one-minute review method
Cover the explanation and say one contrast sentence: “To ameliorate is to improve; to exacerbate is to worsen.” Retrieval plus opposition makes the boundary clearer. Then write one sentence in which only one word can fit.
How to review a mistake
Label the error before moving on. Did you reverse the direction, overstate the degree, confuse similar spellings, or ignore grammar? The label tells you what to practice next and prevents every mistake from becoming “I did not know the word.”
