Home

search contact us about us

Glossaries

A-Z grammar terms A-Z confused pairs "parts of speech" lists

Punctuation Lessons

using apostrophes using colons using commas using dashes using hyphens using brackets using semicolons using quotation marks

English Idioms

50 common idioms 50 funny idioms 50 clever idioms 50 sarcastic idioms

Vocabulary Lessons

vocabulary lists vocabulary games

Allusion and Illusion

Allusion and Illusion

The nouns allusion and illusion sound quite similar, and they both have connotations of intangibility. As a result, they are sometimes confused by writers.

Allusion

The noun allusion denotes a subtle or indirect reference to something (i.e., a hint at something). It derives from the verb to allude.

Examples:

• The Simpsons is full of allusions to well-known films.
• His consistent allusions to being so poor as a child are not in keeping with his brother's version of their childhood.

Illusion

An illusion is a false impression or deception.

Examples:

• It's not an oasis — it is an illusion.
• I am under no illusion how much work is required.

A Quick Test

• This test has questions.
• You will score at least 5 points for a correct answer.
• You will score bonus points for answering the questions quickly.
• Be careful though. Wrong answers score 0 points.
• The maximum score is .

Scoring System

Grammar Guru (+)
Grammar Hero (+)
Grammar Captain (+)
Grammar Sergeant (+)
Grammar Recruit (+)