do not confound

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "do not confound" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to instruct someone not to confuse or mix up two or more things. Example: "When discussing the two theories, please do not confound them, as they have distinct principles."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

23 human-written examples

For heaven's sake do not confound me with anyone else". The chapter titles then explain even more about him: "Why I Am So Wise," "Why I Am So Clever," "Why I Write Such Excellent Books". Our immediate reaction, as he might have intended, is to suspect the wisdom, cleverness and excellence of "such a person's" books.

The New York Times - Books

As neither age nor BMI were associated with any of the NPY2R and NPY1R/NPY5R SNPs, they do not confound the relation in this study.

Plosone

Regardless of the reason for the discrepancies between BMI and percent body fat, neither were different across ethnicities and therefore do not confound our findings.

Plosone

The female HDAC4ΔC mice traveled a greater distance in the OF than WT females (WT 1538±240.5 cm, HDAC4ΔC 3349±464.7 cm, t(22) = 3.46, P<0.01 t-test); there was no difference in total distance between the males (WT 1665±183.6 cm, HDAC4ΔC 2205±294.4 cm, t(22) = 1.56, P = 0.13) indicating that changes in activity do not confound the acute pain phenotype.

Plosone

Unlike the DPI model, when tuned to the size dependence of the FD-cell the responses of the DDI and IDI models do not confound two objects moving in the receptive field with a single object of twice the size in their responses.

Plosone

We provide different rankings that combine important (and readily available) variables of past and current environmental impact (forest loss, natural habitat conversion to managed/crop/urban uses, marine captures, fertilizer use, water pollution, carbon emissions and species threat), but do not confound environmental performance with indicators of human health (e.g., EPI) or economics (e.g., GSI).

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

37 human-written examples

That's why scientists and engineers should present technology in ways that don't confound those choices.

The New York Times

But don't confound your personal beliefs with what ought to be law, especially when those beliefs aim at diminishing a citizen's enjoyment of the rights and privileges afforded to all.

Huffington Post

Additionally, presence levels were the same across all VEs suggesting that presence did not confound the emotional reaction to the VEs.

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies

Males were injected within two minutes of each other to ensure that longevity of sperm did not confound our experiments.

Plosone

Third, water-based cleaning does not confound the PGE-outcome associations, and, thus, does not raise potential for a reverse causality.

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "do not confound" in scientific writing, ensure that you clearly define the terms or concepts you are distinguishing to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "do not confound" in casual conversation; it's more appropriate for formal or technical contexts. Simpler phrases like "don't confuse" or "don't mix up" are better suited for everyday language.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "do not confound" primarily functions as an imperative, instructing someone to avoid a specific error in reasoning or analysis. Ludwig AI confirms its appropriate usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

75%

News & Media

12%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Academia

3%

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "do not confound" is a directive primarily used in formal and scientific contexts to urge against confusing or mixing distinct concepts. Ludwig AI validates its grammatical correctness and appropriate use in academic and research settings. While "do not confuse" serves as a more general alternative, "do not confound" adds a layer of technical precision. Remember to maintain clarity in your writing by clearly defining the terms you are distinguishing, and avoid using "do not confound" in casual language where simpler phrasing is more suitable. The phrase's primary function is to prevent misinterpretation, emphasizing the importance of maintaining clear distinctions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

do not confuse

This alternative is more general and directly advises against mixing up two distinct things.

do not mix up

This alternative is informal and advises against incorrectly combining elements.

do not conflate

This alternative is more formal and suggests avoiding the combination of distinct concepts into one.

do not equate

This alternative emphasizes avoiding the incorrect assumption that two things are equal or interchangeable.

do not blur

This alternative focuses on maintaining a clear distinction and preventing the merging of separate entities.

do not obscure

This alternative suggests avoiding the act of making something vague or unclear, often unintentionally.

keep distinct

This alternative is a concise directive to maintain the separation and clarity between different items or ideas.

avoid mixing

This alternative advises against blending or combining items that should be kept separate.

differentiate clearly

This alternative stresses the need to make the distinctions between items readily apparent and understandable.

maintain separation

This alternative emphasizes the importance of keeping different elements or concepts distinctly apart.

FAQs

How can I use "do not confound" in a sentence?

Use "do not confound" to instruct someone not to confuse or mix up two or more things, particularly in formal or academic contexts. For instance: "When analyzing the data, "do not confound" correlation with causation."

What can I say instead of "do not confound"?

You can use alternatives like "do not confuse", "do not mix up", or "do not conflate" depending on the level of formality and the specific context.

Which is correct, "do not confound" or "don't confound"?

Both "do not confound" and "don't confound" are grammatically correct, but "do not confound" is more formal. "Don't confound" is a contraction and is suitable for less formal contexts.

What's the difference between "do not confound" and "do not confuse"?

While both phrases advise against mixing up two or more things, ""do not confound"" is generally used in more formal and technical contexts, whereas "do not confuse" is more versatile and can be used in a wider range of situations.