This is another set of words I commonly confuse. Turns out, they are not only pronounced alike but they are, more or less, antonyms.

Emerge [ih-murj] (verb):

1. to come forth into view or notice.

2. to rise, as from difficulty.

3. to come into existence.

Example:

Little bubbles emerged on the surface of the water. “Someone’s down there,” he yelled, “and he’s breathing.”

Immerge [ih-murj] (verb):

1. to plunge, as into fluid.

2. to disappear by entering into a medium, as the moon into the shadow of the sun.

(Think Immerse)

Example:

Having arrived at a dead end, Sergey caught his breath and immerged himself under the surface of the pond.