Advice – Consejo (sustantivo, incontable)
She gave me some great advice on how to improve my resume.
Advise – Aconsejar (verbo)
I would advise you to check the weather forecast before going hiking.
Affect – Afectar (verbo)
How will the new tax laws affect small businesses?
Effect – Efecto (sustantivo)
The new policy had an immediate effect on the housing market.
Complement – Complementar, hacer juego (verbo o sustantivo)
That tie really complements your suit.
Compliment – Cumplido (sustantivo o verbo)
He gave her a compliment on her new hairstyle.
Desert – Desierto (sustantivo), abandonar (verbo)
The Sahara is a vast desert in northern Africa.
He was accused of trying to desert his post during the war.
Dessert – Postre (sustantivo)
For dessert, we had apple pie and ice cream.
Principle – Principio (sustantivo; una regla básica o verdad fundamental)
She refused to lie, standing by her principles.
Principal – Principal (adjetivo; el más importante), director (sustantivo; de una escuela)
The principal reason for the decision was the lack of funds.
She had a meeting with the school principal to discuss her child’s behavior.
Stationary – Inmóvil, fijo (adjetivo)
The car remained stationary despite the green traffic light.
Stationery – Artículos de papelería (sustantivo)
He bought some stationery for his new office, including paper and envelopes.
Es importante para los estudiantes de inglés familiarizarse con estas diferencias para evitar malentendidos y mejorar la precisión en la comunicación. Además de conocer las definiciones, la práctica continua y la exposición al idioma en diferentes contextos contribuyen a la adquisición de un uso más correcto y natural de estas palabras tan comúnmente confundidas.