Confusables Entry 455 / 1011 60-second read

Ingenious vs. Ingenuous

Clever versus innocent.

The comparisoni

✗ Wrong

Her ingenuous invention won the prize.

✓ Correct

Her ingenious invention won the prize.

The ruleii

INGENIOUS = clever. INGENUOUS = innocent.

INGENIOUS describes clever invention. INGENUOUS describes naïve honesty. DISINGENUOUS — its opposite — is more familiar.

Memory aidiii

Remember it like this

IngenIOus = InventIOn. IngenUous = Unspoiled."

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