causes confusion

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "causes confusion" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when describing a situation, statement, or action that leads to misunderstanding or lack of clarity. Example: "The instructions provided were unclear and ultimately causes confusion among the team members."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"It causes confusion," he said.

The New York Times

This hodgepodge naturally causes confusion.

The New York Times

But Van Wyck still causes confusion".

The New York Times

"It causes confusion and takes away your focus".

The New York Times

Applying the label "soft" and "hard" just causes confusion.

The Guardian

"It causes confusion to the public," he said.

The New York Times - Arts

Video: P Diddy causes confusion with Downton Abbey tweet.

Independent

"Raising and spending that kind of money causes confusion and some level of chaos," he said.

The New York Times

DaimlerChrysler, a German-American car maker, frequently causes confusion because it reports under both accounting standards.

The Economist

It is often a change of thinking, a behavioural shift, that causes confusion in opposition ranks.

Independent

But seeing real claimants use the form, designers should notice anything that causes confusion or distress.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "causes confusion", ensure the subject of the phrase is clearly defined. Ambiguous subjects can weaken the sentence and leave the reader unsure of what is creating the confusion.

Common error

Avoid using overly general nouns as the subject of "causes confusion". Instead of saying "the situation causes confusion", be specific: "the conflicting reports cause confusion".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "causes confusion" primarily functions as a verb phrase, where "causes" is the verb and "confusion" is the direct object. According to Ludwig, this phrase is deemed grammatically correct and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

58%

Science

32%

Wiki

2%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "causes confusion" is a versatile and commonly used expression to indicate that something generates misunderstanding or a lack of clarity. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and frequent use across various domains. As seen in the examples, this phrase appears most often in news and media contexts, followed by scientific writing. When using "causes confusion", it's important to clearly identify the subject that's creating the confusion to avoid ambiguity. While many alternative phrases exist, such as "leads to misunderstanding" or "creates ambiguity", the choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

creates ambiguity

Replaces "confusion" with "ambiguity", focusing on the lack of clear meaning.

leads to misunderstanding

Emphasizes the result of the initial action as a flawed comprehension.

generates uncertainty

Highlights the creation of a state of being unsure or doubtful.

induces bewilderment

Suggests a state of being perplexed and disoriented.

fosters obscurity

Focuses on something becoming unclear and difficult to understand.

results in perplexity

Highlights the outcome as a state of mental uncertainty.

provokes disorientation

Emphasizes the feeling of being lost or unsure of one's surroundings or understanding.

engenders doubt

Focuses on the creation of uncertainty or disbelief.

muddies the waters

An idiomatic expression meaning to make something less clear and more confused.

beclouds understanding

Implies that something is making it harder to understand.

FAQs

How can I use "causes confusion" in a sentence?

Use "causes confusion" to indicate that something leads to misunderstanding or a lack of clarity. For example, "The complex instructions "causes confusion" among the users".

What are some alternatives to "causes confusion"?

Alternatives include "leads to misunderstanding", "creates ambiguity", or "generates uncertainty", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Which is correct, "causes confusion" or "is causing confusion"?

"Causes confusion" is generally used to describe a recurring or inherent quality, while "is causing confusion" describes an ongoing action. For example, "The policy causes confusion" (general) vs. "The new update is causing confusion" (current situation).

What's the difference between "causes confusion" and "results in confusion"?

"Causes confusion" emphasizes the source or origin of the confusion, while "results in confusion" emphasizes the outcome or consequence. They are largely interchangeable but have a subtle difference in focus.