The Farlex Grammar Book > English Spelling and Pronunciation > Common Mistakes and Commonly Confused Words > allusion vs. illusion
allusion vs. illusion
What is the difference between allusion and illusion?
In casual speech, allusion and illusion are both pronounced /əˈluʒən/, with their first vowels being reduced to the unstressed schwa sound. (When spoken carefully, though, illusion is pronounced /ɪˈluʒən/.)
Though they sound very similar, the nouns allusion and illusion have very different meanings. The more common word, illusion, means “a false, erroneous, deceitful, or misleading perception, belief, or impression,” as in:
- “They were under the illusion that fans of the first film would automatically want to see the sequel.”
- “Magicians are really just very good at creating illusions that trick the mind.”
- “That mirage is an illusion—just ignore it.”
An allusion, meanwhile, is “an indirect, obscure, or oblique reference to something or someone else.” For example:
- “The character’s name is a clear allusion to the Irish pirate Grace O’Malley.”
- “There was an allusion to the campaign scandal during the press briefing, but it was quickly dropped from the discussion.”
Spelling Tricks and Tips
One way to remember which spelling to use is to keep in mind that the noun allusion is formed from the verb allude—if someone alludes to someone or something, they are making an allusion. Illusion, on the other hand, does not have a related verb form. So, if you can rework the sentence with the word functioning as a verb instead of a noun, the correct spelling will be allusion. For example:
- “There was an allusion to the campaign scandal during the press briefing, but it was quickly dropped from the discussion.”
- “One reporter alluded to the campaign scandal during the press briefing, but it was quickly dropped from the discussion.” (The verb form works in the new sentence, so allusion is the correct spelling.)
- “Magicians are really just very good at creating illusions that trick the mind.”
- “Magicians are really just very good at illuding the mind.” (We cannot use a verb form in the new sentence, so illusion is the correct spelling.)
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