Confusing Words

Word lists by level

TOPIK 1 · all 735 words — meanings, example sentences and audio, sorted by part of speech.

TOPIK I · Levels 1–2

• 길다 vs 멀다

  long · far

• 너무 vs 아주 vs 정말

  too, so · very · really, truly

• 높다 vs 비싸다 vs 크다

  high · expensive · big / tall

• 다르다 vs 틀리다

  different · wrong / incorrect

• 다시 vs 또

  again, over, back · again, once more; also

• 덥다 vs 뜨겁다 vs 따뜻하다

  hot (weather, air) · hot (to the touch) · warm, pleasant

• 몇 vs 얼마 vs 어느

  how many / what number · how much · which

• 쉬다 vs 놀다

  rest, take a break, take a day off · play, hang out, have fun

• 싫다 vs 싫어하다

  (something) is disliked; don’t want to · to dislike, to hate

• 아직 vs 이미 vs 벌써

  not yet / still · already (a fact) · already (sooner than expected)

• 입다 vs 신다 vs 쓰다 vs 끼다

  wear clothes · wear shoes/socks · wear on the head/face · wear on hands/fingers

• 자주 vs 가끔 vs 종종

  often · sometimes · now and then

• 좀 vs 조금 vs 약간

  a bit; please (softener) · a little, a few · slightly

• 좋다 vs 좋아하다

  good, nice; (something) is liked · to like

• 춥다 vs 차갑다 vs 시원하다

  cold (weather, air) · cold (to the touch) · cool, refreshing

TOPIK II · Levels 3–6

• 가르치다 vs 가리키다

  to teach · to point at, to indicate

• 꼭 vs 반드시 vs 절대

  definitely, be sure to · without fail, necessarily · never, absolutely (not)

• 끝나다 vs 끝내다 vs 마치다

  (something) ends · finish (something) · complete, conclude

• 드디어 vs 결국 vs 마침내

  finally (at long last) · in the end, eventually · at last (written)

• 먼저 vs 우선 vs 일단

  first, ahead (of others) · first of all, priority · for now, just; once

• 바뀌다 vs 변하다 vs 달라지다

  to be switched / replaced · to change (in nature) · to become different

• 방금 vs 금방 vs 곧

  just now · just now / right away, quickly · soon, shortly

• 배우다 vs 공부하다 vs 익히다

  learn (from someone) · study · master, get the hang of

• 보다 vs 바라보다 vs 쳐다보다

  to see / look / watch · to gaze at · to look (up) at, stare at

• 빌리다 vs 빌려주다

  borrow, rent · lend

• 살다 vs 지내다

  live, be alive, reside · get along, get by, spend (time)

• 알다 vs 깨닫다 vs 이해하다

  to know · to realize · to understand

• 약속 vs 예약

  promise, plans with someone · reservation, booking

• 잊어버리다 vs 잃어버리다

  to forget · to lose

• 찾다 vs 구하다

  look for, find, look up, withdraw · obtain, seek (job, home), rescue

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