摘要：词汇使用错误会严重影响论文的表达与质量。本文对SCI写作中15组常用的易混词汇进行归纳，通过对比其含义，有助于对易混词汇的正确使用。

关键词：易混词汇；写作；论文

Capability/Capacity

Capability: 能力; a certain ability, the quality of being capable, a potential aptitude.

Capacity: 容量/量; the ability to contain; the volume or amount that fits in a certain container.

Compliment/Complement

Complement (n): 补充; a worthy addition

Compliment: 赞扬; to praise (v.); a piece of praise (n.)

Trial/Trail

Trial: 试验; a tryout or experiment to test quality, value, or usefulness of something (e.g., clinical trial). It also refers to the number of repetitions of an experiment.

Trail: 踪迹, 线索; a marked or established path or route, or a course followed or to be followed (e.g., mountain trail).

一般由拼写错误引起混用。

Intercellular/Intracellular

Intercellular: 细胞间; located between cells

Intracellular: 细胞内; occurring or situated within a cell or cells (e.g., intracellular fluid).

前缀Inter- 通常指同类之间；Intra- 指同一物内部.

Principal/Principle

Principal (adj): 主要的; chief, main, leading, most important.

Principal (n): the most important person or group of people; the head of a school; borrowed money (as distinct from interest).

Principle (n): 原则; a rule, standard, law, guideline, or doctrine.

Adverse/Averse

Adverse: 不利的, 相反的; bad, opposed

Averse: 厌恶的; feeling unwilling; experiencing distaste

Affect/Effect

Affect (v): 动词 ‘影响’; “to influence”.

Effect (noun): 名词 ‘影响’ ‘结果’; “result”.

Continually/Continuously

Continually: 持续地, 强调重复/频率; repeatedly (e.g., this week we experienced days of continual sunshine.)

Continuously: 不断地, 强调没有间隔; without interruption (e.g., the flow of water is continuous.)

Criterion/Criteria

Criterion: 单数; singular form (e.g., one criterion).

Criteria: 复数; plural form (e.g., some criteria).

Ensure/Insure

Ensure (v): 保证; “to make sure or certain”.

Insure: 投保; “to guarantee with insurance against risk or loss of life”.

Number/Amount

Amount: 用于不可数名词，如钱、信息、时间.

Number: 用于可数名词，如试验样本.

不可相互替代.

Hypothesis/Theory

Hypothesis: 根据知识与经验所有的猜想，尚未经过测试或证明.

Theory: 已经被重复测试并有证据支持的科学思想.

“Hypothesis”是构建“Theory”的第一步.

Discreet/Discrete

Discreet: 小心不要引起注意.

Discrete: 分开或差距.

Old/Original

Old: 旧的; 属于过去的一段时间，现在一般已不使用的.

Original: 原始的/原创的; 同类中的或被复制的第一个版本.

As a result/consequently/Based on the results

As a result/Consequently: 由于; 用于表达一事件是另一项事情的起因.

Based on the results: 同于the results show/reveal; 表示根据特定结果得到的.

其意义与语境不同，因此无法替换使用.

结语

对于正确使用易混词汇，在于积累；较难掌握的词汇，需查看英文释义，以了解其本质区别。

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