Exacerbate accentuate

[HelloCheekyCat]

why do people seem to mix these two up? Can they mean the same thing and I'm the one who's wrong?
I hear/read people using accentuate when I think it should be exacerbate but maybe it's me who is wrong...

I think of exacerbate as making something worse and accentuate as highlighting something.

What @Bluevelvetsofa says.

Yes me too, so we're right and they are wrong!

Never come across anyone mixing up exacerbate and accentuate, to be honest. Exacerbate and exasperate, yes, several times! Also flout and flaunt...

accept/except
reluctant/reticent
allusive/elusive/illusive
eminent/imminent
aloud/allowed
and the old favourite,
discrete/discreet

You’re a woman after my own heart, @HonoriaBulstrode! I also see these regularly confused, and not only on Mumsnet -

averse/adverse
aisle/isle
apprise/appraise
diffuse/defuse
reign/rein
break/break

There are so many more. And, breath… I could be hear all day, don’t want to loose my temper or illicit the wrong response.

Oh yes, I'd forgotten defuse/diffuse and elicit/illicit.

I think reticent is a lost cause, I hardly ever see it used properly any more.

And look at that - the inevitable mistake in a post about other people's mistakes! I meant break/brake, honest.

I saw someone write today that "nobody battered an eyelid." Thank goodness for that, I say.

Also someone reposting an "inciteful" article on LinkedIn.

Oh don't worry, we weren't phased by it!