In any language there are words that sound or look almost same, but mean totally different things. And English is not an exception. I will tell you even more: in English words with the same roots but different endings NEVER mean the same thing! That's why sometimes this confusion results in ridiculous situations. Let's take a look at some words:
1️⃣SIMPLE vs SIMPLISTIC
🦉Simple - plain and easy, sometimes naïve
🦉Simplistic - overly simplified (rather in a bad way)
🐙It is simple to find our house.
🐙They have simplistic point of view about the war.
2️⃣DUN vs DONE
🦉Dun - horse of a greyish-brown color / to demand money from someone
🦉Done - finished, completed, cooked
🐙She wore dun trousers. One of her jobs was dunning customers for money they owed.
🐙Are you done with the scissors yet?
3️⃣BALE vs BAIL
🦉Bale - a large amount of something / bundle, tied tightly together (for storage or transport)
🦉Bail - an amount of money that a person who has been accused of a crime pays to a law court so that they can be released until their trial
🐙There was a bale of hay in a field.
🐙His parents have agreed to put up bail for her.
4️⃣FLEW vs FLU
🦉Flew - past Simple and past participle of FLY
🦉Flu - a contagious viral disease (inFLUenza)
🐙We flew to New York.
🐙Robby has a bad case of the flu.
5️⃣ AMBIGUOUS vs AMBIVALENT
🦉 Ambiguous - having it expressing more than one possible meaning, open to two or more interpretations
🦉 Ambivalent - having two OPPOSITE FEELINGS at the same time, uncertain or unable to decide
🐙His reply to my question was somewhat ambiguous.
🐙I felt very ambivalent about leaving home.
Sometimes the reason of the confusion is that the words are homophones (they sound the same), sometimes it is caused by very small difference in meanings (as in simple and simplistic or ambiguous and ambivalent). Sometime it is critical not to confuse them 😜 If you are unsure - don't hesitate to consult a dictionary!
P.S. All the definitions and examples are based on ones published on Cambridge Dictionary and gingersoftware.com webpages 🌐