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31. Flaunt and Flout
To flaunt means to show off, whereas to flout means to openly disregard a rule. You could flout convention by flaunting your wealth.
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32. Flounder and Founder
To flounder means to struggle whereas to founder means to sink. Of course, flounder is also a fish, and they’re pretty good swimmers, so that might help you remember the distinction between the two. However, founder can also mean someone who builds something up, which is almost the opposite of to sink.
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33. Forbear and Forebear
Forbear is a verb meaning to refrain from something. Forebear is a noun meaning ancestor. You wouldn’t be reading this if your forebears had decided to forbear.
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34. Gaff and Gaffe
A gaff is a hook for handling fish, while a gaffe is a social misstep or faux pas.
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35. Immanent and Imminent
Immanent means inherent and is more likely to be encountered in a discussion about philosophy or theology than in everyday conversation. Imminent means impending or about to happen.
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