What does confusing mean?
Word: Confusing
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Confusing means hard to understand or follow, so that you are not sure what is meant or what to do.
Synonyms: puzzling, unclear, baffling
Antonyms: simple, obvious
How do you spell confusing?
Syllables: con - fus - ing
Tricky part: The e at the end of the verb drops off before ing is added, so no e sits in the middle of this word.
Watch out for: confuseing, confuesing, conffusing
Memory tip: Amuse turns into amusing and refuse into refusing: the verb lets go of its e when ing arrives, and this word works the same way.
Confusing in a sentence
Example 1: The map was so confusing that we took the wrong turn twice.
Example 2: Some English spellings are confusing, like cough and though.
Example 3: The new timetable looked confusing at first, but now I can read it easily.
Fun Fact
The word goes back to the Latin confundere, to pour together. When things are poured together, you cannot tell them apart.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
confusing
a) clear
b) complicated
c) muddled
d) tricky
Show answer
a) clear. Tricky, muddled and complicated things are hard to follow, just like confusing ones; clear is easy to understand.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The new road signs near the market were confuzing for visitors.
a) market
b) visitors
c) signs
d) confuzing
Show answer
d) confuzing. The buzzing sound in the middle is written with an s, as in music.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) intresting
b) frightning
c) confusing
d) suprising
Show answer
c) confusing. Intresting, suprising and frightning have each lost a letter; confusing is complete.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
ncosnfiug
a) consuming
b) confiding
c) confusing
d) confusion
Show answer
c) confusing. The jumble has an f and a g: confusion has no g, confiding needs a d and consuming an m.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Ananya found the instructions confusing. How did she feel?
a) sure of every step
b) bored and sleepy
c) unsure what to do
d) proud of herself
Show answer
c) unsure what to do
2. Which sign would a visitor find confusing?
a) an Exit arrow that points at the door
b) a Library board above the library
c) a Push sign on a door you push
d) an Exit arrow that points at a wall
Show answer
d) an Exit arrow that points at a wall
