Homophones for the word not

Knot, nought, naught and not are words that are pronounced in the same manner but are spelled differently and have different meanings, which makes them homophones. We will examine the definitions of the words knot, nought, naught and not, where these words came from and some examples of their use in sentences.

A knot is a method of joining pieces of rope or string together by tying. There are hundreds of methods used to tie ropes together in a knot, such as a sheepshank, clove hitch or square knot. Knot may also refer to an unintended tangle in a rope, thread or hair. Knot is used figuratively to mean a bad feeling in the pit of one’s stomach or a complicated problem. Knot may be used as a noun or a transitive verb, which is a verb that takes an object. Related words are knots, knotted, knotting. The word knot is derived from the Old English word cnotta, which means entwined cord or rope.

Nought means nothing, and it also means the digit zero. Nought is a British spelling. The preferred American spelling is naught, which also means nothing. However, naught is rarely used to mean the digit zero. The word nought is derived from the Old English word nowiht which means nothing.

Not is an auxiliary verb that makes a verb or statement negative, to express the opposite. The word not was originally a contraction form of the word nought.

Examples

“Thou Shalt Knot: Clifford W. Ashley” will premiere a recent gift of Ashley’s private knot collection enhanced by interpretative material from the museum’s permanent collection, as well as the artist’s paintings, prints, and works by other knot tyers and artists. (The Enterprise)

It has a range of at least 215 miles on a single charge, can go from nought to 60 in under six seconds, and boasts a five-star safety rating in all categories. (The Mirror)

Netflix (NFLX, -2.17%) may take security seriously, but if its partners do not, then its efforts may as well be for naught. (Fortune Magazine)

“The legislature did not pass a budget to me, for me to sign, so that we’d have the money to keep it open.”  (Business Insider)

Омофоны (homophone) – это слова, которые пишутся по-разному, но слышатся одинаково. При этом значения у них тоже разные. Омофоны – излюбленный источник ошибок для русскоязычных пользователей. И без того испытывая трудности в английской грамматике, на омофонах они просто «загибаются». Здесь мы приводим список из 70 самых распространенных омофонов английского языка с транскрипцией и переводом.

Таблица.

Омофон	Перевод	Омофон	Перевод	Транскрипция
air	воздух	heir	наследник	| eə |
aisle	проход	isle	остров	| aɪl |
eye	глаз	I	я	| aɪ |
bare	голый	bear	носить	| beə |
be	быть	bee	пчела	| bi: |
brake	тормоз	break	ломать	| breɪk |
buy	покупать	by	с помощью…	| baɪ |
cell	клетка	sell	продавать	| sel |
cent	цент	scent	запах	| sent |
cereal	хлопья	serial	сериал	| ‘sɪərɪəl |
coarse	шероховатый	course	блюдо	| kɔ:s |
complement	дополнять	compliment	комплимент	| ‘kɒmplɪmənt |
dam	дамба	damn	черт	| dæm |
dear	дорогой	deer	олень	| dɪə |
die	умереть	dye	красить	| daɪ |
fair	ярмарка	fare	тариф	| feə |
fir	ель	fur	шерсть	| fɜ: |
flour	мука	flower	цветок	| ‘flaʊə |
for	для	four	четыре	| fɔ: |
hair	волосы	hare	заяц	| heə |
heal	лечить	heel	каблук	| hi:l |
hear	слышать	here	здесь	| hɪə |
him	ему	hymn	гимн	| hɪm |
hole	дыра	whole	целый	| həʊl |
hour	час	our	наш	| ‘aʊə |
idle	ленивый	idol	идол	| ‘aɪdl̩ |
in	в	inn	таверна	| ɪn |
knight	рыцарь	night	ночь	| naɪt |
knot	узел	not	не	| nɒt |
know	знать	no	нет	| nəʊ |
made	сделал	maid	служанка	| ‘meɪd |
mail	почта	male	мужчина	| meɪl |
meat	мясо	meet	встречать	| mi:t |
morning	утро	mourning	оплакивание	| ‘mɔ:nɪŋ |
none	никто	nun	монахиня	| nʌn |
oar	весло	or	или	| ɔ: |
one	один	won	выиграл	| wʌn |
pair	пара	pear	персик	| peə |
peace	мир	piece	кусок	| pi:s |
plain	плоский	plane	самолет	| pleɪn |
poor	бедный	pour	лить	| pɔ:|
pray	молить	prey	добыча	| preɪ |
principal	директор школы	principle	принцип	| ‘prɪnsəpl̩ |
profit	доход	prophet	проповедник	| ‘prɒfɪt |
real	реальный	reel	катушка	| ri:l |
right	правый	write	писать	| ‘raɪt |
root	корень	route	путь	| ru:t |
sail	отправиться в плавание	sale	распродажа	| seɪl |
sea	море	see	видеть	| ‘si: |
seam	шов	seem	казаться	| si:m |
sight	вид, зрение	site	территория	| saɪt |
sew	шить	so	так	| səʊ |
sole	одинокий	soul	душа	| səʊl |
some	несколько	sum	сумма	| sʌm |
son	солнце	sun	солнце	| sʌn |
stair	лестница	stare	глазеть	| steə |
stationary	стационарный	stationery	канцелярские изделия	| ‘steɪʃənri |
steal	украсть	steel	сталь	| sti:l |
suite	номер повышенной комфортности	sweet	сладкий	| swi:t |
tail	хвост	tale	сказка	| teɪl |
their	их	there	там	| ðeə |
to	к	too	тоже	| tu: |
toe	большой палец ноги	tow	буксировать	| təʊ |
waist	талия	waste	тратить	| weɪst |
wait	ждать	weight	вес	| weɪt |
way	путь	weigh	взвешивать	| ‘weɪ |
weak	слабый	week	неделя	| wi:k |
wear	носить	where	где	| weə |

What you will learn:

1. What are homophones?
2. 101 English homophones with examples
3. How to learn homophones in English
4. Quiz: Test your understanding of English homophones
 

What are homophones?

Homophones are two or more words that sound the same (identical pronunciation), but have different meanings. These words are often spelt differently in English too (e.g. pear vs. pair). The term homophone comes from Greek ‘homo-’ (meaning: same) and ‘-phone’ (meaning: sound or voice), so the word literally means: ‘same sound’.

English has more homophones than most languages because its pronunciation has changed a lot over time, while its spelling has changed very little. Many words have been borrowed from other languages through the centuries and this explains why English spelling is so strange (or confusing!). For example: right (Old English: riht) vs. write (Old English: writan) vs. rite (Latin: ritus). In the past, these words would have been pronounced differently, but today they all sound the same in modern English.

In this guide, we will focus on homophones in British English. Most of these are the same in American English too. However, national and regional accents change the way people pronounce words and sometimes this creates different homophones. For example, these words are homophones in American English, but not in British English: hostel/hostile, balm/bomb, caught/cot, halve/have.

Let’s take a look at some homophones!
 

101 English homophones with examples

In this list of English homophones, you will find simple, intermediate and more advanced level vocabulary. For each pair or set, there are meanings and examples. Some you will know already, but others will certainly be new! Where possible, these homophones have been put into approximate categories to help you organise and learn them.

NUMBER HOMOPHONES

1. One, won

One (noun): The number that comes after 0 but before 2.
My son is one year old today.

Won (verb): The past tense of ‘win’.
The football team won two games in a row.

1. Two, to, too

Two (noun): The number that comes after 1 and before 3, a pair.
He bought two packets of crisps.

To (preposition): In the direction of a particular location.
I am going to the shop.

Too (adverb): To a higher degree than desired, also.
The girl was too tired to work. I was tired too.

1. Four, for

Four (noun): The number that comes after 3 and before 5.
The clock struck four.

For (preposition): If someone receives something, if something is done for a reason.
I bought John some sweets for his birthday (for him to eat).

It is common for native speakers to use numbers in online chat or SMS messages. For example, you can write ‘before’ like ‘b4’ and ‘forget’ as ‘4get’. This is because ‘for’ sounds the same as ‘four’ (4). Another common example is ‘m8’ (mate – friend).

1. Eight, ate

Eight (noun): The number that comes after 7 and before 9.
There were only eight days left until Christmas.

Ate (verb): Past tense form of ‘eat’.
We ate dinner together then went home.

FOOD & DRINK HOMOPHONES

1. Steak, stake

Steak (noun): Prime cut of meat, usually beef.
My all-time favourite meal is steak and chips.

Stake (noun): A strong wooden post with a sharp point at one end.
Vampires can only be killed with a stake through the heart!

1. Bean, been

Bean (noun): Edible seed that grows in pods on leguminous plants.
Baked beans on toast is a traditional British dish!

Been (verb): Past tense form of ‘be’.
Where have you been all night?

1. Pear, pair

Pear (noun): Common type of fruit.
Would you like a pear from the garden?

Pair (noun): A set of two things (often used together).
He couldn’t find a matching pair of socks.

1. Bread, bred

Bread (noun): Type of food.
Our local bakery sells the best wholemeal bread for miles!

Bred (verb): Past tense form of ‘breed’ – to raise or develop animal stock.
In the past, many farmers bred rabbits for meat and fur.

1. Cereal, serial

Cereal (noun): Grain used for food (e.g. wheat), type of dried breakfast eaten with milk.
My favourite cereal is cornflakes.

Serial (noun/adjective): A story or programme delivered in instalments, taking place in series.
The serial killer loved watching serials on TV!

1. Flour, flower

Flour (noun): Ingredient used to make bread and cakes.
This recipe uses two cups of flour and 1/4 cup of sugar.

Flower (noun): Seed-bearing part of a plant.
Her husband gave her a nice bunch of flowers on her birthday.

1. Meat, meet

Meat (noun): Food from the flesh of an animal.
The hotel guests got food poisoning because the meat wasn’t cooked properly.

Meet (verb): Arrange or happen to cross paths with somebody.
I’m going to meet my friend at the train station this evening.

1. Chilli, chilly

Chilli (noun): Small spicy pepper or pod used in cooking.
I ordered the Mexican Hot Pizza, but couldn’t eat the chilli on top!

Chilly (adjective): A bit cold, not warm.
Don’t forget your coat! It’s a bit chilly out today.

1. Mussel, muscle

Mussel (noun): Mollusc with purple-brown shell.
I had the mussels as a starter and they were delicious!

Muscle (noun): Type of human body tissue.
What do you prefer in a boyfriend – brains or muscles?!

1. Wine, whine

Wine (noun): Alcoholic drink made from fermented grapes.
Chilled white wine goes well with fish.

Whine (noun/verb): Long high-pitched cry, complain.
The little dog shivered by the door and let out a whine.

1. Bite, byte

Bite (noun/verb): Tear something apart with teeth.
Let’s grab a bite to eat in town after work!

Byte (noun): Unit of measurement of digital information.
How many bytes are there in each character in MS Word?

1. Grate, great

Grate (verb): Shred into small pieces using a food grater.
The recipe says we need to grate the cheese into the sauce.

Great (adjective): Large, prominent, very good.
The Great White Shark is a great hunter!

1. Berry, bury

Berry (noun): Small pulpy fruit.
Did you know that watermelons are a type of large berry?

Bury (verb): Put or hide underground.
You shouldn’t bury your head in the sand each time there’s an argument.

1. Currant, current

Currant (noun): Type of berry, also of dried berry variety.
We have lots of currant bushes at the bottom of our garden – both red- and blackcurrants.

Current (noun/adjective): Strong flow of water, present or up-to-date.
Surfers should be aware of the strong currents along the south coast of England.

Even native speakers get confused by the way words are pronounced vs. written! Here are some examples of commonly confused homophones: compliment/complement, practice/practise, principle/principal, lightning/lightening, insight/incite, miner/minor.

1. Leek, leak

Leek (noun): Long white and green stick-like vegetable in the onion family.
Wales is famous for its rainy weather and its giant leeks!

Leak (noun/verb): Hole through which fluid can escape accidentally, drip out.
Our roof has got a leak so we need to fix it before winter comes.

1. Maize, maze

Maize (noun): Corn.
It is common for manufacturers to use maize as an ingredient in many processed foods.

Maze (noun): Labyrinth.
Chatsworth House has a maze that is made up of a network of paths and hedges.

1. Thyme, time

Thyme (noun): Type of aromatic herb.
What goes best with roast chicken – thyme or rosemary?

Time (noun): Period, measure of seconds/minutes/hours/days/etc.
How much time does it take to cook a roast chicken?

1. Sauce, source

Sauce (noun): Liquid used to add flavour to food.
This Chinese cooking sauce uses a variety of citrus fruits.

Source (noun): Origin, cause of something.
Citrus fruits are a good source of vitamin C.

1. Sweet, suite

Sweet (noun/adjective): Candy, food with a sugary taste.
If you eat up all your vegetables, I’ll let you have one more sweet!

Suite (noun): Set of rooms or technical instruments.
The journalist interviewed the rock star in his London hotel suite.

1. Mousse, moose

Mousse (noun): Light and fluffy dessert.
The French restaurant opposite our office sells the best chocolate mousse in town!

Moose (noun): Large animal in the deer family.
Do people eat moose in Canada? They certainly have a lot of them!

ANIMAL HOMOPHONES

1. Hare, hair

Hare (noun): Animal that looks like a large rabbit.
The hare hopped through the woodland.

Hair (noun): Growing from the skin of humans and other animals.
Her hair was so long that she had to wear a large hat to work!

1. Bear, bare

Bear (noun): Type of large hairy animal.
Our local pub is called The Brown Bear.

Bare (adjective): Naked, without clothes/covering, plain.
If you walk around with bare feet you might cut yourself!

NOTE: The word ‘bear’ is also a verb that literally means ‘to carry a load’. This is not often used in modern English, although you will find it in expressions like ‘I’ll bear that in mind’ (remember) or ‘I can’t bear it!’ (tolerate, put up with).

1. Deer, dear

Deer (noun): Large animal with antlers, similar to a small elk or moose.
Some UK farmers keep deer and breed them for their meat (venison).

Dear (noun/adjective): Beloved person, expensive.
The wedding ring you’ve chosen is a bit too dear, my Dear!

1. Gorilla, guerrilla  

Gorilla (noun): Large ground-dwelling ape.
African gorillas live in mountainous forests in the west of the country.

Guerrilla (adjective/noun): Unauthorised and irregular (military) action, partisan fighter.
The Colombian guerrillas lived in the jungle and sometimes attacked government troops.

1. Sole, soul

Sole (noun): Variety of marine flatfish.
I really love grilled sole with a touch of lemon!

Soul: Spirit, immortal part of a human.
For my philosophy course, I have to write an essay about the human soul.

NOTE: The word ‘sole’ is also a noun that refers to the underside of a person’s foot or shoe, and the word ‘soul’ can be used as an adjective to describe the musical genre.

1. Flea, flee

Flea (noun): Small jumping parasitic insect that often lives on dogs or cats.
I caught a flea on our cat today so we’ll need to wash him with special shampoo.

Flee (verb): Run away or escape from danger.
After 3 months of bombing, the family decided to flee the conflict in their war-torn city.

1. Boar, bore

Boar (noun): Wild pig.
We saw a boar and a tiger when we visited the local zoo.

Bore (verb/noun): Make someone bored or disinterested, a boring person.
John‘s such a bore! All the guy talks about is golf and work!

NOTE: In technical contexts, the word ‘bore’ can also mean ‘make a hole using a tool’. Therefore, ‘borehole’ would be an engineering word for a drill hole, and not a hole made by a wild pig!

1. Horse, hoarse

Horse (noun): Four-legged animal often used for riding or work.
When my grandfather was young, he went to school on a horse and cart.

Hoarse (adjective): Describes a rough or husky voice due to a sore throat.
I was feeling hoarse before the concert, but managed to sing when I got up on stage.

1. Lynx, links

Lynx (noun): Type of medium-sized wild cat.
In American Indian mythology the lynx is considered a ‘keeper of secrets’.

Links (noun): Plural form of ‘link’, connections or points of contact.
Our company has links to suppliers all over the world.

1. Whale, wail

Whale (noun): Largest (marine) mammal on Earth.
Thanks to the work of conservationists, most species of whale are now protected.

Wail (noun/verb): High-pitched cry of pain, anger or sadness.
I heard a patient wail in agony from the neighbouring (hospital) ward.

1. Mare, mayor

Mare (noun): Adult female horse.
Children often came from the village to feed apples to the old mare.

Mayor (noun): Elected leader of regional government.
The mayor cut the ribbon at the museum opening ceremony.

1. Toad, towed, toed

Toad (noun): Type of large brown frog.
There’s a toad living in our garden pond and my daughter has named it ‘Freddy’!

Towed (verb): Past tense of ‘tow’, when one vehicle pulls another.
When our car broke down, a neighbour kindly towed it home for us.

Toed (adjective): Having toes.
The three-toed sloth lives in the jungles of Borneo.

PRONOUN HOMOPHONES (+ contractions & determiners)

1. I, eye

I (pronoun): Used by a speaker to refer to himself/herself.
I did not enjoy the film.

Eye (noun): The pair of organs that allow us to see.
He is blind in one eye.

1. I’ll, isle, aisle

I’ll (contraction): Short form of ‘I will’.
I’ll get to school on time if there is no traffic today.

Isle (noun): A small island.
We go on holiday every year to the Isle of Wight.

Aisle (noun): Passage between two rows of seats.
Passengers must not leave their bags in the aisle at any time.

NOTE: While ‘isle’ and ‘aisle’ are always homophones in British English, the contracted form ‘I’ll’ is pronounced differently in many regional accents (isle vs. aal). The same is true for similar contractions like ‘you’ll’ (yule vs. yorl) and ‘we’ll’ (wheel vs. wirl).

1. You, ewe, yew

You (pronoun): Used to refer to the person or people being addressed.
Would you like to come round for dinner sometime next week?

Ewe (noun): Female sheep.
The little lamb followed its mother as the ewe crossed the field.

Yew (noun): Type of evergreen tree.
Traditional English longbows were often made from yew (wood).

1. You’ll, Yule

You’ll (contraction): Short form of ‘you will’.
I think you’ll improve your piano playing with practice.

Yule (noun): Old word for Christmas.
The word ‘Yule’ is still used in old Christmas songs and religious hymns.

1. You’re, your

You’re (contraction): Short form of ‘you are’.
You’re my best friend.

Your (determiner): Belonging to the person the speaker is addressing.
Hi, I’m Jack! What’s your name?

1. Our, hour

Our (determiner): Belonging to the speaker and one or more other person.
We both got our hair cut at the same place!

Hour (noun): Period of 60 minutes.
The queue for the roller coaster was over an hour so we didn’t go on it.

NOTE: In many regional accents of British English, ‘our’ and ‘are’ will be homophones. For example, in the sentence ‘Our (ar) friends are (ar) coming to stay’ the words ‘our’ and ‘are’ can be pronounced in exactly the same way.

1. They’re, their, there

They’re (contraction): Short form of ‘they are’.
My brother and his girlfriend got engaged because they’re really in love.

Their (determiner): Belonging to a person or thing being mentioned.
Parents are often keen to help their children with their homework.

There (adverb): In, at, or to a given place.
I threw the ball and now it’s over there.

1. Theirs, there’s

Theirs (pronoun): Refers to something that belongs to two or more people.
I think that white football is theirs.

There’s (contraction): Short form of ‘there is’.
There’s a good film on at the cinema tonight. Fancy it?

1. We’ve, weave

We’ve (contraction): Short form of ‘we have’.
We’ve been digging all day and we haven’t found any treasure!

Weave (verb): Make fabric/baskets by crossing threads over and under.
My grandmother taught me how to weave cloth and make my own clothes.

1. We’d, weed

We’d (contraction): Short form of ‘we would/had’.
If we’d got the bus, then we’d be home by now!

Weed (noun): A wild plant that is not wanted.
The gardener pulled up all the weeds in the flowerbed.

1. We’ll, wheel

We’ll (contraction): Short form of ‘we will’.
We’ll have to run; otherwise we’ll miss the bus!

Wheel (noun): A circular object used to move things over the ground.
The back wheel of my bike is bent and needs to be replaced.

1. We’re, weir

We’re (contraction): Short form of ‘we are’.
When do you think we’re going to get our exam results?

Weir (noun): Low barrier to control the flow of water in a river.
I saw some boys fishing down by the weir.

1. Him, hymn

Him (pronoun): Refers to a male object in a sentence.
His face looks familiar, but I don’t really know him.

Hymn (noun): Religious song to praise God.
The church congregation stood up to sing a hymn.

1. He’ll, heel, heal

He’ll (contraction): Short for ‘he will’.
He’ll win the tennis match if he scores the next point.

Heel (noun): Back part of a foot or shoe below the ankle.
He stood on a nail and cut his heel.

Heal (verb): (Cause to) become healthy again.
The cut on your foot will heal by itself, but you must keep it clean.

1. He’d, heed

He’d (contraction): Short for ‘he would/had’.
He’d better not be late or I’ll kill him!

Heed (verb): Pay attention to.
He should have heeded the warnings. Now he’s in trouble!

1. It’s, its

It’s (contraction): Short form of ‘it is’.
It’s not my fault. It’s yours!

Its (possessive determiner): Belonging to a thing being mentioned.
Lay the baby on its side if it starts crying.

In English you can say ‘it’ about a small baby without being impolite. Native speakers often do this if they do not know the gender of the child. In most other languages grammatical gender dictates that separate words must be used for male vs. female babies.

1. Who’s, whose

Who’s (contraction): Short form of ‘who is’.
Who’s coming to your birthday party tomorrow?

Whose (pronoun): Belonging to or associated with which person.
Let’s get on with the game! Whose turn is it to roll the dice?

1. What’s, watts

What’s (contraction): Short form of ‘what is’.
What’s the capital of France?

Watts (noun): Unit of power in electrical items (plural form).
How many watts are in an amp?

1. Which, witch

Which (pronoun/determiner): Used when asking for information about people or things.
Which of these shirts do you like best?

Witch (noun): Woman with magic powers, usually evil ones.
I’m dressing up as a witch for Halloween this year.

COLOUR HOMOPHONES

1. Blue, blew

Blue (adjective): Colour between green and violet (e.g. like the sky).
Elvis was a fan of blue suede shoes!

Blew (verb): Past tense form of ‘blow’.
The storm blew down several trees on our street!

1. Red, read

Red (adjective): Colour at the end of the spectrum (e.g. like blood).
Little Red Riding Hood is a popular children’s fairytale.

Read (verb): Past tense form of ‘read’.
How many Harry Potter books have you read?

1. Greys, graze

Greys (noun): Two or more shades of the colour grey.
I really like how the artist has used the greys in this painting.

Graze (verb): Eat grass in a field (of cows, sheep, etc.).
Early each morning, the farmer took his cattle out to graze.

FAMILY HOMOPHONES

1. Son, sun

Son (noun): A boy or man in relation to his parents.
My son is only eight years old, but he thinks he is 18!

Sun (noun): Star round which the Earth orbits, light/warmth from this star.
The sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening.

1. Aunt, aren’t

Aunt (noun): The sister of someone’s father or mother.
My mum’s sister is my aunt.

Aren’t (contraction): Short form of ‘are not’.
We aren’t going on holiday this year.

NOTE: In American English and many UK regional accents, the words ‘aunt’ and ‘ant’ are homophones. In Britain, ‘ant’ (aunt) would be the usual pronunciation in the north of the country.

1. Father, farther

Father (noun): Dad.
My father used to play rugby for England.

Farther (adverb): Comparative form of ‘far’.
How much farther do we have to walk?

NATURE HOMOPHONES

1. Root, route

Root (noun): Underground part of a plant or tree, source or origin.
A weed may grow again if you don’t remove the root.

Route (noun): Way, course or path.
Our route took us through the Alps and then on to Italy.

1. Wood, would

Wood (noun): Small forest, material from trees.
There used to be badgers in the wood, but they are gone now.

Would (verb): Past tense form of ‘will’, expresses conditional.
Where would you like to spend the summer holidays?

1. Sea, see

Sea (noun): Expanse of salt water that covers most of our planet.
Julie’s hometown is by the sea.

See (verb): Action of perceiving with the eyes.
If you climb to the top of that hill, you can see for miles!

1. Tide, tied

Tide (noun): Alternate rising and falling of the sea.
When it’s low tide you have to walk a long way before you can swim.

Tied (verb): Past tense form of ‘tie’.
She tied the hook to the end of the fishing line.

1. Shore, sure

Shore (noun): The land along the edge of the sea or a body of water.
We walked along the shore and found some pretty shells.

Sure (adjective): Confident that one is right.
I’m sure that I locked the door.

1. Weather, whether

Weather (noun): Relates to sunshine, rain, wind etc.
The weather in April is usually showery.

Whether (conjunction): Expressing a doubt or choice between alternatives.
I don’t know whether to go to work or call in sick.

Whether the weather is cold
or whether the weather is hot,
we’ll weather the weather,
whatever the weather,
whether we like it or not.

1. Mist, missed

Mist (noun): Light fog.
The morning mist covered the fields.

Missed (verb): Past tense form of ‘miss’.
We missed the train so had to get to London by coach.

1. Dew, due

Dew (noun): Tiny drops of water that form on cool surfaces at night.
The grass was wet with dew.

Due (adjective): Expected at a certain time.
My sister’s baby is due in 3 weeks!

1. Reed, read

Reed (noun): A tall plant which grows in water or marshy ground.
There were reeds growing along the side of the canal.

Read (verb): Look at and comprehend the meaning of words.
She loved books so much that she would read them all day long.

1. Air, heir

Air (noun): Mix of gases that we breathe.
The air was moist after the storm.

Heir (noun): A person entitled to the property or rank of another after death.
He was the King’s only son, and so was heir to the throne.

1. Night, knight

Night (noun): The period from sunset to sunrise.
The stars come out at night.

Knight (noun): An old term for a mounted soldier in armour.
He was my knight in shining armour.

VERB HOMOPHONES

1. Sew, sow, so

Sew (verb): Join or repair with needle and thread.
There’s a hole in my sock, but I don’t know how to sew.

Sow (verb): Plant by scattering seeds on the ground.
Each year the local farmers sow wheat in their fields.

So (adverb/conjunction): To the same or greater extent, therefore, in order that.
I’d never seen so many people in the shop, so I decided to come back later.

1. Pause, paws, pours, pores

Pause (verb): Interrupt an action briefly.
I think we should pause the meeting for a short break at 12.00.

Paws (noun): Plural form of ‘paw’, animal foot with pads and claws.
The cat got its paws trapped under the carpet.

Pours (verb): 3rd person form of ‘pour’, flow quickly in a steady stream.
If John pours the tea, then you can offer our guests a biscuit.

Pores (noun): Plural form of ‘pore’, tiny holes in the skin.
When you do physical exercise, sweat comes out through the pores in your skin.

1. Wrap, rap

Wrap (verb): Cover in paper or soft material.
My mum likes to use colourful paper to wrap the Xmas presents.

Rap (noun/verb): Hip-hop music, singing style involving quick rhymes.
When I was in my teens I used to love rap, but now I’m more into rock.

1. Wear, where, ware

Wear (verb/noun): Have clothing on one’s body, damage over time through use/friction.
Where (adverb): In, to, or in which place or situation.
I have no idea where the nearest petrol station is.

Ware (noun): Manufactured items of a certain type.
John Lewis is a good department store if you want to buy kitchenware.

1. Steal, steel

Steal (verb): Take (illegally) without permission.
If you steal goods from a shop, this is called ‘shoplifting’.

Steel (noun): Common type of metal use in construction.
The new art museum is made entirely from glass and steel.

1. Write, right, rite

Write (verb): Mark letters, words or symbols on paper with a pen or pencil.
Please remember to write to Santa Claus before Xmas!

Right (adjective): Correct, just, opposite of left.
I answered all the test questions, but only got half right.

Rite (noun): Ritual.
In many cultures, older boys must complete a rite of passage to become ‘men’.

1. Buy, by, bye

Buy (verb): Get something in exchange for payment.
I am going to buy some food from the Supermarket.

By (preposition): Identifying who performed an action, near to, using.
My homework gets checked by my teacher.

Bye (exclamation): Informal way of saying ‘goodbye’.
“Bye mum! I’ll see you when I get home from school.”

1. Sell, cell

Sell (verb): Give or hand over something for money.
I want to sell my car and buy a new one.

Cell (noun): Small room for a prisoner.
The police kept the thief in a cell overnight.

1. Hear, here

Hear (verb): Perceive sound with the ears.
I could hear people laughing in the next room.

Here (adverb): In, at, or to this place or position.
We’ve lived here for most of our lives.

1. Break, brake

Break (verb): Smash or separate into pieces.
Be careful not to break a window with that football!

Brake (noun): A device used to slow down a moving vehicle.
When you want to slow the car down, remember to use the brake.

1. Affect, effect

Affect (verb): Influence, cause to change.
The Brexit vote will certainly affect the UK economy.

Effect (noun): A change which is a result of an action or other cause.
No one knows what the effects of this political decision will be.

1. Die, dye

Die (verb): Stop living.
When sailors die they are sometimes ‘buried’ at sea.

Dye (verb/noun): To colour something, substance that adds colour.
My sister would like to dye her hair pink, but I think green would look better!

1. Waste, waist

Waste (verb/noun): Use or expend carelessly, rubbish or unwanted material.
Let’s go. I don’t want to waste any more time!

Waist (noun): Part of the body or measurement around the hips.
I need a pair of jeans with a 36-inch waist.

1. Know, no

Know (verb): Be aware of.
Most men know how to boil an egg, but some don’t!

No (exclamation and determiner): A negative response, not any.
No, I don’t want to mow the lawn today.

1. Accept, except

Accept (verb): Agree to receive or undertake something.
I said the dog had eaten my homework, but the teacher didn’t accept my excuse!

Except (preposition): Not including, other than.
I invited everyone to my birthday party except Jamie.

1. Wait, weight

Wait (verb): Stay where you are until a particular time or event.
I didn’t want to wait any longer, so I left the cafe.

Weight (noun): The heaviness of a person or thing.
My wife often worries about her weight, but she’s actually quite slim!

1. Weigh, way, whey

Weigh (verb): Use scales to determine the weight of something.
Match officials have to weigh each boxer before a professional fight.

Way (noun): Method of doing something, road or route.
We got lost and I had to admit that I didn’t know the way home.

Whey (noun): Watery component of milk after the formation of curds.
Whey is produced as part of the cheese-making process.

1. Flew, flu, flue

Flew (verb): Past tense form of ‘fly’.
The beautiful eagle flew high above the trees.

Flu (noun): Influenza.
Many people suffer from flu during autumn and winter.

Flue (noun): Duct or pipe for smoke.
When we got a wood-burning stove, we had a flue and liner installed in the chimney.

A flea and a fly flew up in a flue.
Said the flea, “Let us fly!”
Said the fly, “Let us flee!”
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

1. Threw, through

Threw (verb): Past tense form of ‘throw’.
He threw his dirty clothes into the laundry basket and put on a clean t-shirt.

Through (preposition): Moving in one side and out of the other.
He walked through the door and went straight upstairs.

ADJECTIVE & ADVERB HOMOPHONES

1. Male, mail

Male (adjective): A man.
The survey was conducted with equal numbers of male and female participants.

Mail (noun): Letters and parcels sent by post.
The postman put the mail through the letterbox.

1. Vain, vein, vane

Vain (adjective): Inflated sense of self or appearance, producing no result.
I think a lot of fashion models are vain.

Vein (noun): Type of blood vessel.
The patient needed an injection, but the trainee nurse couldn’t find a vein.

Vane (noun): Weathervane, broad blade attached to rotating wheel/axis.
The weathervane moved from side to side in the wind.

1. Weak, week

Weak (adjective): Opposite of strong.
I like my tea weak, with milk and one sugar.

Week (noun): 7 days.
I can meet tomorrow, but I’m around all next week.

1. Whole, hole

Whole (adjective): Full, entire.
I can’t eat a whole pizza to myself. Would you like to share?

Hole (noun): Gap or space in the ground or a surface.
There’s a hole in my pocket. That’s how I lost my key!

1. Bored, board

Bored (adjective): Lacking interest or engagement.
The girl looked bored and half-asleep in class.

Board (noun/verb): Long and flat piece of wood, get onto transport (plane, ship, etc.).
The window was broken and a board had been nailed across it.

1. Coarse, course

Coarse (adjective): Rough, rude.
The surface of the stone was coarse and scratched his fingers.

Course (noun): Study programme.
A friend of mine is doing an online English course.

1. Higher, hire

Higher (adjective): Comparative form of ‘high’.
Our company sales figures are higher this year.

Hire (verb): Rent, borrow for money.
There’s no need to take bicycles because we can hire them at the park.

1. Plain, plane

Plain (adjective/noun): Simple, without flavour, large flat area of land with few trees.
I usually have plain yoghurt and muesli for breakfast.

Plane (noun): Aeroplane.
Our plane landed at 2 o’clock sharp.

1. Aloud, allowed

Aloud (adverb): Not silently.
He read the letter aloud so that everyone could hear.

Allowed (verb): Past tense form of ‘allow’.
The museum staff allowed us to take several photographs.

1. Principal, principle

Principal (adjective): Main, number one.
The government’s principal concern is immigration.

Principle (noun): Fundamental truth or proposition.
You can trust Rob. He’s a man of principle.
 

How to learn homophones in English

There is no secret formula when it comes to learning homophones. Try several different approaches and see what works best for you! To get you started, check out the 5 study tips below:

1) Always learn homophones in context

This is basically a fancy way of saying “in a real sentence or situation”. Context helps us understand the intended meaning behind the usage of a word. This becomes even more important when learning homophones because words like pause/paws/pours/pores all have identical pronunciation! You can only work out which meaning is intended by looking at the context.

2) Have a laugh with English homophones!

Many English jokes use homophones to confuse the listener and create puns. You have already seen several jokes in this study guide, but you can find more on Homophonelist.com. At higher levels, exploring English humour can be a really good way of developing your understanding of vocabulary and culture.

3) Use mobile apps anytime, anywhere

The best way to learn vocabulary is to repeat it regularly. Mobile apps offer a quick solution for learning homophones on the move! You can download apps like Homophones Free or go online to play the BBC’s homophone game.

4) Write nonsense sentences with homophones

Another good way to learn homophones is to practise them in your writing. Take a set of homophones and write one sentence that includes ALL of them. It does not matter if the sentence is nonsense! The main aim of the exercise is to compare the different meanings of the homophones. For example: I said “bye” to my friend and went to buy a coat in a shop by the river.

5) Play spelling games with homophones

Native speakers often make spelling mistakes because of homophones! This shows the importance of learning the correct meanings AND spellings of words that have the same pronunciation. Try this game: Make flashcards with x1 homophone on each side and the translation in your language in brackets. Ask a friend to choose random cards and read out the homophones and/or translations. Try to write down the correct spelling of the word, and then check to see if you are right!
 

Quiz: Test your understanding of English homophones

Now that you have been through the homophone list, it is time to test your knowledge! Try each of the exercises in this quiz and then check your answers at the end.

Liam G.
— Staff Writer.

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Омофоны доставляют не мало проблем всем, кто изучает английский язык.
Омофоны (homophones) — слова, которые звучат одинаково, но пишутся по-разному и имеют разное значение.
В английском языке омофонов – великое множество. Это осложняет восприятие английской речи на слух, освоение правописания и правильного произношения. Омофоны относятся к словам в английском языке, которые часто путают. 

Вот только небольшой список английских омофонов:

1. Air — воздух
Heir – наследник

2. All — все
Awl — шило

3. Allowed — разрешенный
Aloud — вслух

4. Ant — муравей
Aunt – тетя

5. Ball — мяч
Bawl – орать, кричать

6. Base — основа
Bass — басс

7. Be — быть
Bee – пчела

8. Bear — медведь
Bare — голый

9. Bite — укус
Byte – байт

10. Blue — синий
Blew – взорвали

11. Bored — скучно
Board — совет, правление

12. Bow — лук
Bough – сук, ветвь

13. Boy — мальчик
Buoy — буй, бакен

14. Bored — скучно
Board — совет, правление

15. Bread — хлеб
Bred – выведенный, воспитанный

16. Break — перерыв
Brake — томоз

17. Bury — похоронить
Berry – ягода

18. But — но
Butt — приклад, окурок

19. Buy — купить
By – по, на
Bye — до свидания

20. Cash – наличные деньги
Cache – кэш, тайник

21. Ceiling — потолок
Sealing — уплотнение

22. Cent — цент
Sent — посланный
Scent — аромат

23. Check — проверять
Cheque – чек, контроль

24. Cheap — дешевый
Cheep – писк

25. Course — конечно
Coarse — грубый

26. Colonel — полковник
Kernel — ядро, зернышко

27. Dam — плотина
Damn – проклятый

28. Days — дни
Daze — изумление

29. Dear — дорогой
Deer — олень

30. Dew — роса
Due – должный, соответствующий

31. Die — умереть
Dye — краска

32. Eight — восемь
Ate — ел, ела, ели

33. Fare — тариф
Fair — ярмарка

34. Feet — стопы
Feat – подвиг
Fete — праздник, торжество

35. Flower — цветок
Flour — мука

36. Foul – нарушение правил
Fowl — дичь

37. For — для
Fore — передний
Four — четыре

38. Fur — мех
Fir — ель

39. Gate — ворота
Gait – походка

40. Great — великий
Grate – тереть на терке

41. Grown — взрослый
Groan – стон

42. Hair — волосы
Hare – заяц

43. Hall — зал
Haul — буксировать, перевозить

44. Hay — сено
Hey — эй

45. Heard — услышал
Herd – стадо

46. Heart — сердце
Hart – олень-самец

47. Here — здесь
Hear — слышать

48. High — высокий
Hi — привет

49. Him – его, ему
Hymn — гимн

50. Hole — дыра
Whole – целый

51. Hour — час
Our – наш

52. Horse — лошадь
Hoarse – хриплый

53. I – я
Eye – глаз

54. In — в
Inn — гостиница

55. Isle — остров
Aisle – проход

56. Jail — тюрьма
Gaol – тюрьма

57. Key — ключ
Quay — набережная, пристань

58. Lone — одинокий
Loan – кредит

59. Made — сделанный
Maid — горничная, служанка

60. Male — мужчина
Mail — почта

61. Meat — мясо
Meet — встречать
Mete — отмерять, определять

62. Might — может
Mite – клещ

63. Morning — утро
Mourning – траур

64. Need — нуждаться
Knead — месить

65. New — новый
Knew – знал

66. Night — ночь
Knight — рыцарь

67. None — нет
Nun – монахиня

68. Not — не
Knot — узел

69. One — один
Won — выиграл, победил

70. Or — или
Ore – руда

71. Pail — ведро
Pale – бледный

72. Pain — боль
Pane – панель, оконное стекло

73. Pair — пара
Pear — груша
Pare – чистить, сокращать

74. Patience — терпение
Patients — пациенты

75. Peace — мир
Piece – кусок

76. Pie — пирог
Pi – число Пи

77. Pier — пирс
Peer — сверстник

78. Plain — простой
Plane – самолет

79. Pole — полюс
Poll – опрос

80. Pour — лить
Poor — бедный
Pore — поры

81. Pray — молиться
Prey — добыча

82. Rack – вешалка для одежды
Wrack – разрушать

83. Rain — дождь
Rein – поводья, сдерживать
Reign — царствовать, господствовать

84. Raise — подъем
Rays — лучи
Raze – сносить, сровнять с землей

85. Read — читать
Reed – тростник, камыш
Reid — рейд, набег

86. Real — реальный
Reel — катушка

87. Red — красный
Read — читал

88. Right — право
Write — писать
Rite – обряд

89. Ring — кольцо
Wring – выжимать, скручивать

90. Role — роль
Roll — рулон

91. Root — корень
Route — маршрут

92. Sail — парус
Sale — продажа

93. See – видеть, смотреть
Sea — море
C

94. Seem — кажется
Seam – шов

95. Sell — продажа
Cell –клетка

96. Sheer – явный, настоящий
Shear – резать

97. Size — размер
Sighs — вздохи

98. Sleigh — сани
Slay – убивать

99. So — так
Sew — шить
Sow – сеять

100. Sole — подошва
Soul – душа

101. Some — некоторые
Sum — сумма

102. Stair — лестница
Stare – глазеть

103. Stake – доля, ставка
Steak — бифштекс

104. Straight — прямо
Strait — пролив, нужда

105. Sun — солнце
Son — сын

106. Sunny — солнечный
Sonny – сынок

107. Sweet — сладкий
Suite – набор, люкс

108. Т
Tea — чай
Tee – тройник, мишень

109. Tail — хвост
Tale — сказка

110. Team — команда
Teem – кишат

111. Tears — слезы
Tiers – ярусы

112. Time — время
Thyme — тимьян

113. Toe – палец на ноге
Tow – буксировка

114. Two — два
Too — слишком
To – к, до, в

115. You – ты, вы
Ewe — овца
Yew — тис

116. Vain — тщетно
Vane – флюгер, лопасть
vein – вена

117. Very — очень
Vary — варьироваться

118. Waist — талия
Waste — отходы

119. Wait — ждать
Weight – вес

120. Wave — волна
Waive — отказываться от

121. Way – способ, путь
Weigh – вес

122. We — мы
Wee – крошечный

123. Weather — погода
Whether – ли

124. Week — неделя
Weak — слабый

125. Whale — кит
Wail – вой, стенания

126. Where – где
Wear – носить

127. Which — который
Witch – ведьма

128. Wood – лес, дерево
Would — бы

129. Write – писать
Rite – обряд
Right — правый

130. Wrote — написал
Rote – наизусть

Проверьте свой английский словарный запас, пройдя бесплатный онлайн тест на нашем сайте. 

What are homophones? How do you comfort a distraught grammar teacher? You say, there, their, they’re! This old joke is an example of a homophone.

In speaking, we seldom need to worry about homophone mistakes because the person you are speaking to understands what you are saying due to the context of the conversation. It is with writing that homophone confusion makes a difference because, with identically sounding words, it is easy to use the wrong word. To help untangle the confusion, let’s look at some commonly confused homophones.

What Is A Homophone?

In English, a homophone is a word that is pronounced exactly or nearly the same as another word but differs in meaning and is spelled differently. A homophone is a linguistic situation in which two words have the same pronunciation but have different spellings and meanings. This can be confused with homographs and homonyms. Let’s define all three.

As we saw, homophones are words with different meanings that sound the same. A homograph is a group of words that are spelled the same, but have different meanings and usually have different pronunciations. A homonym, on the other hand, is a word in a group of words that are spelled the same and pronounced the same but have different meanings. It can be confusing to know which word or spelling to use to convey the correct meaning. Adding to the potential confusion is that all homonyms are homophones because they are pronounced the same. But, not all homophones are homonyms because not all homophones are spelled the same.

Common Examples of Homophones

Homophones are the most confusing words in the English language.

• Rode — Road
• Sauce — Source
• Scene — Seen
• See — Sea
• Side — Sighed
• Soar — Sore
• Sole — Soul
• Some — Sum
• Sort — Sought
• Stare — Stair
• Stationary — Stationery
• Steal — Steel
• Stile — Style
• Sun — Son
• Tail — Tale

Interesting examples of homophones used in sentences. 

1. I ate eight apples for breakfast.
2. The flower grew in the flour that spilled on the kitchen counter.
3. He left his hair in the hare‘s lair.
4. The sea is a great place to see a cee.
5. The woodcutter used an ax to chop down aks trees.
6. The sun is shining bright and I can see the son playing outside

Homophones examples illustrated with pictures – Image 1

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Homophones examples illustrated with pictures – Image 2

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Most Commonly Confused Homophones

	Meaning	Examples
Brake	To brake is to slow something down	Use the parking brake to keep the car from rolling backward.
Break	To break is to shatter something into pieces	If you don’t hold the vase firmly you might drop it and it will break.
By	By is a preposition meaning next to	Come over and sit by me
Buy	Buy means to purchase	Use the money I gave you to buy the toy
Bye	Bye is the shortened version of goodbye	He said to her, “Bye for now!”
Carat	Carat is a unit of weight to measure the size of gemstones (karat is a unit of measurement for the purity of gold)	The man bought his lady a 2-carat diamond ring
Caret	Caret is a mark placed below the line to indicate an insertion in the text	Use a caret to show what you are adding to the sentence
Carrot	Carrot is a garden vegetable	Bugs Bunny is always munching on a carrot
For	For indicates purpose	I will do this for you
Four	Four is the word for the number after 3 and before 5	There are four possible solutions
Fore	Fore means in, toward, or near the front	The doors on the airplane are located fore and aft
Its	Its indicates ownership	It’s strange that the bird built its nest where it did
It’s	It’s is a contraction for it is
Know	Know is related to knowledge	Did you know I liked apple pie?
No	No is the opposite of yes	No, I did not
Our	Our indicates what belongs to or is associated with the speaker	Our child wants to study to be a doctor
Hour	Hour is a unit of time equaling sixty minutes	The conductor said we will arrive in about an hour
There	There means location	The group waiting is over there
Their	Their is possessive, referring to them or themselves	What is their reason for waiting?
They’re	They’re is a contraction for they are	They’re waiting to come in when the store opens
To	To is a preposition indicating motion or direction	I will come to your house
Too	Too means also	My friend will come too
Two	Two is the word for the number after 1 and before 3	This way, the two of us will be able to see you
Your	Your indicates what belongs to or is associated with the person or people the speaker is addressing	Is your child studying to be a doctor?
You’re	You’re is a contraction for you are	I bet you’re proud of them

We’ve looked at some frequently confused homophones to distinguish how to tell them apart. This will help to use the correct word when writing. As always, the best way to use the correct word is with its context, based on the meaning you wish to convey.

Homophones Examples

Homophones (A)

Ad —– Add

• We put an ad in the local paper.
• Do you want to add your name to the list?

Ail —– Ale

• Make a kind of grand tour on my own, take the waters and cure what ails me.
• Deglaze pan with nut-brown ale and reduce liquid by half.

Air —– Heir

• Let’s go out for some fresh air.
• John was the sole heir to a vast estate.

All —– Awl

• All horses are animals, but not all animals are horses.
• An awl is an iron instrument used for piercing leather, but the word has been in punning use since time immemorial.

Allowed —– Aloud

• Smoking is not allowed here.
• The pain made him cry aloud.

Alms —– Arms

• Parish priests were feeling the pinch through reduced income from alms and tithes.
• He had a pile of books in his arms.

Altar —– Alter

• The groom left the bride standing at the altar.
• I can’t alter the plans.

Ant —– Aunt

• Ants work hard all summer.
• My aunt lives in Canada.

Arc —– Ark

• The beach swept around in an arc.
• The ark is vast, designed to float, not sail – and there were no launching problems!

Ate —– Eight

• I ate three hot dogs.
• My parents died when I was eight.

Auger —– Augur

• These have parallel sides and an auger along which the excess wood escapes.
• Conflicts among the various groups do not augur well for the future of the peace talks.

Aural —– Oral

• The sound track gives us the aural before the visual cue; it is as if the thunder arrives before the lightning.
• Like our oral culture, our society is atomized, disparate and largely obsessed with trivia.

Homophones (B)

Baize —– Bays

• At the same time, away from the competitive baize, she was a loyal and warm-hearted personality.
• He just crouches on the corner at lunchtime and occasionally bays, like a wolf or coyote.

Bald —– Bawled

• He combed his hair and tried to hide his bald patch.
• If you didn’t, you were bawled out, and that took an awful lot of getting used to.

Ball —– Bawl

• Tom caught the ball with one hand
• I couldn’t help it, I just started bawling.

Band —– Banned

Homophones examples:

• They formed a band when they were still at school.
• Leaders of the banned party were arrested last night.

Bard —– Barred

• I can be a bard, a philosopher, an actor.
• The gates are barred, the grass grows long, the paint peels.

Bare —– Bear

• The trees are already bare.
• I am afraid of bears.

Baron —– Barren

• Hariri is not the first political baron to have risen without the benefit of family connections.
• Thousands of years ago the surface was barren desert.

Be —– Bee

• Be quiet!
• A bee is buzzing around.

Beach —– Beech

• It’s a nice day for going to the beach.
• Copses of beech and alder appeared, straggling along the banks with their roots lost in a tangle of briars and bracken.

Bean —– Been

• Tom doesn’t like green beans.
• I’ve never been to Japan.

Beer —– Bier

• He opened the fridge and got out a can of ice-cold beer.
• She made an effort to compose her mind to do just that, and kept her eyes firmly on the bier.

Berry —– Bury

• If you are determined to cultivate fruits, then the safest bets are berry bushes and nut trees.
• We hope to bury any speculation that there was a conspiracy.

Berth —– Birth

• You see them in dedicated lanes, hopefully being given a wide berth by cars.
• What’s your date of birth?

Billed —– Build

• You will be billed monthly for the service.
• They’re going to build on the site of the old power station.

Blue —– Blew

• They failed to put clear blue water between themselves and their competitors.
• She blew onto her coffee to cool it down.

Bored —– Board

• After a while, I got bored and left.
• The plan of the new building is displayed on a board at the back of the room.

Braid —– Brayed

• A worn braid feels rough and is best cut away and the line joined by a blood knot.
• The fisherman brayed laughter, pleased with his joke, and delighted to see the boy had composed himself.

Break —– Brake

• I need a break.
• She stopped with a squeal of the brakes.

Brews —– Bruise

• In the days when most types of beer were dark, wheat brews were seen as being relatively pale and often cloudy.
• Jenny looked as though she’d been crying, and there was a nasty bruise on her cheek.

Bridal —– Bridle

• She went to House of Design, a new Boston bridal house specializing in couture-quality gowns.
• The boy walked up to it and pulled its head up with the bridle, leading it out of the trees.

Broach —– Brooch

• He decided not to broach the subject of divorce until his wife had recovered from her illness.
• Mrs. or Mme Wyatt wore patent-leather shoes and a smart brownish suit with a gold brooch.

Buy —– By / Bye

• I want to buy a new coat.
• The telephone is by the window.
• Bye, Dave.

Homophones Examples – Image 1

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Homophones Examples (C)

Capital —– Capitol

• The government is eager to attract foreign capital.
• This same senator also once got lost in a Capitol Hill garden after leaving a conference committee on the House side.

Cellar —– Seller

• We don’t use our coal cellar anymore.
• She is a flower seller.

Census —– Sense

• A national census is taken every ten years.
• He felt an overwhelming sense of loss.

Cereal —– Serial

• Eaten with milk or cream, they made an acceptable breakfast cereal.
• Their letters of planning went back and forth like installments of a serial.

Chili —– Chilly

• The sauce needs more chili.
• I was feeling chilly.

Choral —– Coral

• The third and final section of the evening was choral.
• They spent $ 2 million on environmental measures, he said, and hired biologists to replant coral that would be damaged.

Cite —– Sight / Site

• He was cited for bravery.
• Anne’s sight is very good for someone of her age.
• A site has been chosen for the new school.

Coarse —– Course

• The coarse sand was hot.
• Andy’s doing a one-year journalism course.

Complement —– Compliment

• The dark red walls complement the red leather chairs.
• Being compared to Abba is a great compliment.

Council —– Counsel

• He sent a letter to the council to complain about the noise.
• The judge asked counsel for the defence to explain.

Homophones Examples (D)

Deer —– Dear

• A deer makes tracks in the snow.
• Congratulations to you my dear brother on all your fine accomplishments in school.

Die —– Dye

• Do you believe in anything enough to die for it?
• Carbonless paper coated with chemicals and dye which will produce copies without carbon paper.

Discreet —– Discrete

• He assured her that he would be discreet.
• The change happens in a series of discrete steps.

Doe —– Dough

Homophones examples:

• Ezra waited for the doe to open its eyes and look at him.
• Mix lemon juice and milk; stir into flour mixture until dough leaves side of bowl and forms a ball.

Done —– Dun

• As soon as I’m done, I’ll give you a call.
• The claret dun nymph is at home in slow, peaty streams.

Draft —– Draught

• This is only the first draft of my speech.
• A cold draught of air blew in from the open window.

Dual —– Duel

• The piece of furniture serves a dual purpose as a cupboard and as a table.
• The officer challenged him to a duel.

Homophones (E)

Earn —– Urn

• He did all sorts of jobs to earn a living.
• The soup urn had a lonely look.

Ewe —– You

• He’s helping to drive in the ewes for a mass ante natal clinic
• I have some news for you.

Homophones Examples (F)

Farther —– Father

• We decided not to go any farther.
• I love my father.

Faze —– Phase

• John was embarrassed, but it didn’t faze Mike a bit.
• The first phase of renovations should be finished by January.

File —– Phial

• Mendoza read over the file on the murders.
• The door irised open and he reached inside, drawing out the tiny phial before the door closed up again.

Find —– Fined

• I can’t find the car keys.
• The company was fined £20 000 for breaching safety regulations.

Fir —– Fur

• You always clear away the soft topsoil till you get a fir base.
• There was cat fur all over the chair.

Flaw —– Floor

• There is a fundamental flaw in Walton’s argument.
• We are located on the seventh floor of the building.

Flea —– Flee

• A water flea that is starving in a crowded pond is the victim not of food shortage but of competition.
• He gathered what money he had just in case Gallagher was forced to flee.

Flew —– Flu/ Flue

• A bird flew by and saw one of the half-eaten calves that I had dug up.
• Steven’s still in bed with flu.
• You may prefer central heating, and more controllable ventilation than permanently open flue.

Flex —– Flecks

• She watched him raise one hand to rub the nape of his neck, then flex his shoulder muscles.
• Only a few flecks of gray could be seen in his full head of hair.

Flour —– Flower

• Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
• What beautiful flowers!

For —– Four

• There’s a letter for you.p
• I choose number Four.

Foreword —– Forward

• He was asked if he would consider writing a foreword for her book.
• They ran forward to welcome her.

Fort —– Fought

• Just the three of you going to be holding the fort tonight.
• He fought many battles with the early Labor party in Lancaster and discrimination against socialist employees was alleged.

Foul —– Fowl

• He woke up with a foul taste in his mouth.
• Fish, fowl and meat, most with a decidedly Southwestern treatment, are represented on the menu.

Homophones Examples (G)

Gait —– Gate

• He was round and fat, he had an energetic gait, a bright, lively face, and laughing eyes.
• We went through the gate into the orchard.

Gamble —– Gambol

• Their religion forbids them to drink or gamble.
• Now, at seventeen, I could gambol in the forbidden delights of Elysium with no one tugging at my hand.

Genes —– Jeans

• The actual number of human genes is still in dispute.
• Her hair looked dishevelled, as did the sweatshirt and jeans she was wearing.

Gored —– Gourd

• He was attacked and gored by a bull.
• I felt hollow, like a dried gourd, a few loose seeds shaking uselessly inside me.

Great —– Grate

• The movie was a great success.
• She took the two halves of the letter away, tore them in fragments, and burned them in her grate.

Groan —– Grown

• Richard’s jokes make you groan rather than laugh.
• He had been a grown man with a small but independent income when he had taken Minnie instead of her to wife.

Homophones Examples – Image 2

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Homophones (H)

Hart —– Heart

• Whoever slew a hart or hind was to be blinded.
• Regular exercise is good for the heart.

Hear —– Here

• I could hear the sound of traffic.
• This switch here controls the lights.

Heel —– Heal

• The sergeant clicked his heels and walked out.
• This will help to heal your cuts and scratches.

Hi —– High

• Hi guys!
• The house has a high wall all the way round it.

Him —– Hymn

• He took the children with him.
• The service began with a rousing hymn.

Hoard —– Horde

• They dug up a hoard of Roman coins.
• The elves defeated a huge horde of goblins.

Hole —– Whole

• The bomb blew a huge hole in the ground.
• She wasn’t telling the whole truth.

Holy —– Wholly

• The priest puts some holy water on the child’s head.
• The report claimed that the disaster was wholly unavoidable.

Hour —– Our

• The interview lasted half an hour.
• We showed them some of our photos.

Homophones (I)

I —– Eye

• I moved to this city six years ago.
• Ow! I’ve got something in my eye!

Idle —– Idol

• I cannot afford to leave the land lying idle.
• She is the idol of countless teenagers.

Incite —– Insight

• Republicans have complained that Democrats are using Social Security scare tactics to incite seniors groups and others to oppose the constitutional amendment.
• The article gives us a real insight into the causes of the present economic crisis.

Homophones (K)

Knead —– Need

• On a lightly floured board, knead the dough for a couple of minutes.
• You don’t really need a car.

Knew —– New

• I wonder if he knew of the plan?
• The hardest part of this job is understanding the new technology.

Knight —– Night

• She’s still waiting for a knight in shining armor to come and rescue her.
• The accident happened on Friday night.

Knot —– Not

• Tie the two ropes together with a knot.
• She did not see him.

Know —– No

• I know people’s handwriting changes as they get older.
  “It was Tony.”
• “‘No, you’re wrong. It was Ted.”

Homophones (L)

Leak —– Leek

• Water had started to leak into the cellar.
• For a first course, there is a potato leek soup.

Lessen —– Lesson

• They gave her an injection to lessen the pain.
• Our first lesson on Tuesdays is French.

Levee —– Levy

• The last four of these sub-deltas were formed by levee breaches in 1839,1860,1874 and 1891.
• If the government wishes to raise tax revenue in order to subsidize the poor, it should levy a tax on films.

Links —– Lynx

• A love of nature links the two poets.
• They may be eagle-eyed or watch like a lynx.

Loan —– Lone

• I had to take out a loan to buy my car.
• He was by no means a lone voice criticizing the government.

Loot —– Lute

• He refused to let his army enter and loot the city.
• Here too he started to write hymns which he would sing to his own accompaniment on a lute.

Homophones examples illustrated with pictures – Image 3

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Homophones examples illustrated with pictures – Image 4

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Homophones (M)

Made —– Maid

• The sky was clear and the sunlight had a brilliance and intensity that made her head reel.
• A maid pushed her cleaning cart down the path toward the cottages out back.

Mail —– Male

• He found a mountain of mail waiting for him.
• Many women earn less than their male colleagues.

Main —– Mane

• The main reason for living in Spain is the weather.
• She tossed back her mane of chestnut hair.

Manna —– Manner

• There is no mention in the story of the giving of water, or of food beyond the manna.
• I had hoped you would behave in a more responsible manner.

Marshal —– Martial

• Heston has been named grand marshal of the parade.
• He’d heard rumors that the military were planning to declare martial law.

Mask —– Masque

• Her sarcasm is a mask for her insecurity.
• Comus is a masque in which a young lady’s chastity is tried and not vanquished.

Maw —– More

• Millions of dollars were poured into the maw of defense spending.
• Children generally feel much more confident working in groups.

Medal —– Meddle

• She won a gold medal at the last Olympics.
• Church leaders shouldn’t meddle in politics.

Meet —– Meat

• Maybe we’ll meet again some time.
• I gave up eating meat a few months ago.

Might —– Mite

• I might be a few minutes late.
• Some teachers take everything a mite too serious.

Mist —– Missed

• We could just see the outline of the house through the mist.
• He missed 20 games after breaking a bone in his wrist.

Moose —– Mousse

• The team already knew that moose exposed to new predator populations are more vulnerable.
• She would bake a chocolate mousse torte.

Muscle —– Mussel

• Rooney has pulled a muscle in his thigh and won’t play tomorrow.
• You can also try beef heart, mussel, chicken, liver prawn and the like.

Homophones (N)

None —– Nun

• I wish I could offer you some cake but there’s none left.
• Georgiana later marries, and Eliza becomes a nun.

Homophones (O)

Oar —– Or

• We took one oar each and rowed quickly to the shore.
• It can be black, white or grey.

Overdo —– Overdue

• Don’t overdo the salt in the food.
• Her baby is two weeks overdue.

Homophones (P)

Pail —– Pale

• They filled their pail and container, and started the return journey.
• He looked very pale and drawn.

Pain —– Pane

• She felt a sharp pain in her leg.
• Omite peers through the pane, shakes her head and steps back.

Pair —– Pear

• She felt as if every pair of eyes in the room was on her.
• This pear smells nice.

Passed —– Past

• We passed a group of students outside the theatre.
• Study some past exam papers to get an idea of the questions.

Peace —– Piece

• I wish she would just leave me in peace.
• He broke off a piece of bread and gave it her.

Peak —– Peek

• Sales this month have reached a new peak.
• Shut your eyes and don’t peek!

Pedal —– Peddle

• She put her foot down on the accelerator pedal.
• Farmers come to Seoul to peddle rice.

Plane —– Plain

• She slept on the plane.
• The advantages were plain to see.

Principal —– Principle

• His principal reason for making the journey was to visit his family.
• The general principle is that education should be available to all children up to the age of 16.

Profit —– Prophet

• The shop’s daily profit is usually around $500.
• He sent for Teiresias, the old blind prophet, the most revered of Thebans.

Homophones (R)

Rain —– Reign

• There will be heavy rain in most parts of the country.
• A higher synthesis, one ushering in a new reign of peace and harmony, under a benign and ever just science.

Red —– Read

• We painted the door bright red.
• I was shocked when I read of his death.

Right —– Write

• Keep on the right side of the road.
• She had to write a report on the project.

Ring —– Wring

• She left a dirty ring around the bath.
• They are always trying to wring additional funds from the government.

Rode —– Road

• He rode away across the marshes.
• I ran down the road to see what was happening.

Role —– Roll

• They want to limit the role of government.
• I tried to roll him onto his side.

Rouse —– Rows

• We don’t want to rouse any suspicions.
• There were always rows when my dad got home.

Rung —– Wrung

• I have rung the world from these boxes and feel a great affection and gratitude towards them.
• Sally wrung out the socks and hung them on the towel rack.

Homophones List – Image 3

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Homophones (S)

Sail —– Sale

• She always wanted to sail around the world.
• The use and sale of marijuana remains illegal.

Sauce —– Source

• Stir in fish sauce, coconut milk, sugar, and lime juice and bring to a simmer.
• Beans are a very good source of protein.

Scene —– Seen

• The police soon arrived at the scene of the crime.
• He crouched down so he couldn’t be seen.

Scull —– Skull

• You didn’t scull too badly today.
• Her skull was crammed with too many thoughts.

See —– Sea

• She looked for him but couldn’t see him in the crowd.
• The waste was dumped in the sea.

Shoe —– Shoo

• What’s your shoe size?
• You shoo the dog out of the kitchen.

Side —– Sighed

• They crossed from one side of London to the other.
• He sighed deeply at the thought.

Slay —– Sleigh

• Those old movies still slay me!
• Alternatives to skiing include a leisure pool, curling and skating on the nearby lake, indoor tennis and sleigh rides.

Soar —– Sore

• She watched the dove soar above the chestnut trees.
• I had a sore throat and aching limbs.

Sole —– Soul

• Griffiths is the sole survivor of the crash.
  He is really quite a sensitive soul.

Some —– Sum

• I need some apples for this recipe.
• Bill wants to spend a large sum on modernizing the farm.

Sort —– Sought

• He wondered if Rosa was in some sort of trouble.
• He sought revenge against Surkov for separating him from his wife and son.

Staid —– Stayed

• The museum is trying to get rid of its staid image.
• She stayed at home while the children were young.

Stalk —– Stork

• He ate the apple, stalk and all.
• We always used to say the guys on the Ridge were lucky, the stork brought their babies.

Stare —– Stair

• It’s not polite to stare, you know.
• The second stair creaks when you step on it.

Stationary —– Stationery

• It is called a sinker because it sinks beneath you when you are stationary.
• You could say the same for luggage and stationery.

Steal —– Steel

• Inventors know that someone is always going to try to steal their designs.
• Sheffield is a major steel town.

Stile —– Style

• Continue on a clear path up the hillside to reach a stile on the ridge.
• The paintings are in an expressionistic style.

Sun —– Son

• The sun was shining and birds were singing.
• We have two daughters and a son.

Homophones (T)

Tail —– Tale

• The male has beautiful tail feathers.
• His latest book is a delightful children’s tale about talking animals.

Team —– Teem

• We have a team of eight working on product development.
• With luck, in a year the place should begin to teem with federal workers.

Than —– Then

• Natalie was prettier than her sister.
• I wish I had known then what I know now.

Their —– There

• They washed their faces and went to bed.
• We could go back to my cottage and have lunch there.

Throne —– Thrown

• Queen Elizabeth came to the throne in 1952.
• The boat was thrown onto the rocks.

Tide —– Tied

• The body was washed up on the beach by the tide.
• She tied the newspapers in a bundle.

To —– Too / Two

• I walked to the office.
• The dress was too tight for me.
• I was in two minds about the book.

Toe —– Tow

• He kicked the earth with the toe of his boot.
• The car broke down and we had to get somebody to give us a tow.

Homophones (V)

Vain —– Vein

• She closed her eyes tightly in a vain attempt to hold back the tears.
• The nurse was having trouble finding a vein in his arm.

Vary —– Very

• Class numbers vary between 25 and 30.
• The new building has been very much admired.

Homophones (W)

Wail —– Whale

• Somewhere behind them a child began to wail.
• We saw a whale blowing a jet of spray high in the air.

Waste —– Waist

• Why waste money on clothes you don’t need?
• He put his arm around her waist.

Way —– Weigh

• I’m not happy with this way of working.
• The young birds weigh only a few grams.

Weak —– Week

• She is still weak after her illness.
• He comes to see us once a week.

Weather —– Whether

• The weather is very changeable at the moment.
• I asked him whether he had done it all himself or whether someone had helped him.

Where —– Wear

• I wonder where they will take us to.
• I always wear black.

Which —– Witch

• Which of the applicants has got the job?
• He wants me to be a witch.

Who’s —– Whose

• Who’s the money for?
• Whose house is that?

Won —– One

• Britain won five gold medals.
• There’s only room for one person.

Would —– Wood

• He said he would be here at eight o’clock.
• All the furniture was made of wood.

Homophones (Y)

You’re —– Your

• You’re a good person.
• Dentists advise you to have your teeth checked every six months.

Homophones List | Images

Homophones List | Image 1

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Useful Homophones List | Image 2

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Homophones List | Image 3

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Homophones | Pictures

Commonly Confused Homophones in English | Image 1

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Examples of Homophones in English | Image 2

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Commonly Confused Homophones in English | Image 3

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Examples of Homophones in English | Image 4

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Homophone Video

Learn common homophones examples illustrated with pictures and pronunciation video.

Learn a list of homophones in English with American English pronunciation.

To conclude, let’s enjoy a homophonic limerick:

Whether the weather be cold,

Or whether the weather be hot,

We’ll weather the weather,

Whatever the weather,

Whether we like it or not.

Resources Related to Homophones

• Commonly Confused Words
• Most Difficult Words
• Commonly Mispronounced Words
• Commonly Misspelled Words
• Homographs, Homophones, Homonyms
• Homonyms
• Homographs
• Grammatical Errors

Homophones List

Last Updated on March 3, 2023

В каждом языке существуют слова, которые звучат одинаково, но имеют разное значение. Они называются омофоны (homophones).

В нашем родном языке мы без труда понимаем, о чем идет речь из контекста. При изучении иностранного языка, однако, они вызывают изумление и неуверенность: «А пойму ли я, что конкретно имеется в виду?»

Переживать не стоит, так как достаточно часто эти слова являются разными частями речи, и в контексте можно разобраться.

Давайте запомним и научимся использовать самые распространенные омофоны в английском языке.

Омофоны-существительные

air — heir /eəʳ/

air — воздух

heir — наследник, наследница

• Prince Harry is not a direct heir to the British throne. — Принц Гарри не является прямым наследником британского трона.

aisle — isle /aɪl/

aisle — проход

isle — остров (часто в названиях — The British Isles)

• Would you like a window or an aisle seat? — Вы хотите место у окна или у прохода?

cent — scent /sent/

cent — цент (также в слове percent /pərsɛnt/)

Помните, что в английском языке редок звук /Ц/, и поэтому слова латинского происхождения с буквой С читаются со звуком /С/: cent, century, circus, ceremony, procedure, science

scent — запах, аромат

• Breathe in the scent of lavender fields… (из рекламы) — Вдохни аромат лавандовых полей…

cereal — serial /sɪəriəl/

cereal — злаки, хлопья (для завтрака)

serial — тип телевизионного сериала (одна история в хронологическом порядке — например, Game of Thrones, Battlestar Galactica; в отличие от TV series — например, Friends, Doctor Who, Poirot — где каждая история имеет свое начало и конец)

• I have cereal with milk for breakfast. — Я ем хлопья с молоком на завтрак.
• ‘Downton Abbey’ is my favourite serial. — «Аббатство Даунтон» — мой любимый сериал.

flower — flour /flaʊəʳ/

flower — цветок

flour — мука

• Roll the pieces of meat in flour and fry them. — Обваляйте куски мяса в муке и обжарьте.

hair — hare /heəʳ/

hair — волосы

hare — заяц

night — knight /naɪt/

night — ночь

knight — рыцарь

pair — pear /peəʳ /

pair — пара

pear — груша

• I need another pair of shoes. — Мне нужна еще пара туфель.

plane — plain /pleɪn/

Внимание! Слово plan /plæn/ не является омофоном к слову plane /pleɪn/

plane (также airplane) — самолет

plain — равнина. Также это слово может быть прилагательным и означать «простой», «без добавок», «пресный» (о еде), «бесцветный» (о цвете).

• Do you have plain yoghurt? — У вас есть йогурт без добавок?

principal — principle /prɪnsɪp(ə)l/

principal — директор учебного заведения

• Have you met the school principal? — Ты встречался с директором школы?

Principal также может быть прилагательным: «принципиальный», «главный».

• It’s our principal task. — Это наша главная задача.

principle — принцип

root — route /ruːt/

root — корень

route — маршрут

В американском английском некоторые произносят слово route /raʊt/, однако, это не является универсальным американским произношением.

sauce — source /sɔːs/

sauce — соус

source — источник, ресурс.

• Would you like some sauce with it? — Вам нужен к нему (=заказанному блюду) соус?
• Google is the main source of information. — Гугл — это главный источник информации.

sight — site /saɪt/

sight — вид, взгляд

site — место (например, место расположения, строительства и т.д.)

• It was love at first sight. — Это была любовь с первого взгляда.
• Hard hats must be worn on the construction site. — Вы должны быть в каске на строительной площадке.

tale — tail /teɪl/

tale — история (например, fairy tale — сказка)

tail — хвост

• It’s an old tale. — Это старая сказка / байка.

waist — waste /weɪst/

waist — талия

waste — мусор, отходы

Ошибки в произношении приводят к проблемам восприятия быстрой английской речи на слух. Рекомендую приобрести наш «Полный Справочник по Правилам Чтения». Он поможет заполнить пробелы в знании правил произношения и поможет избежать распространенных ошибок.

Омофоны с глаголами

ate — eight /eɪt/

ate — прошедшая форма глаголa eat (есть), то есть «ел(а)». Существует также «закрытое» произношение ate /et/ — однако, /eɪt/ по-прежнему считается более правильным.

eight — 8

break — brake /breɪk/

break — ломать

brake — тормоз

• We heard brakes screeching. — Мы услышали скрежет тормозов.

bury — berry /beri/

bury — зарыть, похоронить

berry — ягода

• Lady Diana is buried on an island «within the grounds of Althorp Park.» (Source: Wikipedia) — Леди Диана похоронена на острове на территории Парка Althorp.

buy — by — bye /baɪ/

buy — покупать

by — предлог «у», «около» (место), «к» (время)

bye — форма прощания

die — dye /daɪ/

die — умирать

dye — окрашивать, менять цвет (например, волосы или ткань)

• She dyed her hair red. — Она покрасилась в красный цвет.

flew — flu /fluː/

flew — прошедшая форма глагола fly (летать), то есть «летал(а)», «летел(а)»

flu — грипп

hear — here /hɪəʳ/

hear — слышать

here — здесь

meet — meat /miːt/

meat — мясо

meet — встречаться

sell — cell /sel/

sell — продавать

cell — ячейка, клетка

sew — sow — so /soʊ/

Внимание! слово SAW /sɔː/ — не является омофоном к указанным словам.

sew — шить

sow — сеять

so — так (наречие, усилитель)

• Sew the sides together. — Сшейте края вместе…

steal — steel /stiːl/

steal — красть

steel — сталь

whine — wine /waɪn/

wine — вино

whine — жаловаться, ныть

wrap — rap /ræp/

wrap — заворачивать

rap — читать рэп

• Where can I get wrapping paper? — Где я могу купить оберточную бумагу (бумагу для упаковки, например, подарков)?

write — right — rite /raɪt/

write — писать

right — правильный; правый

rite — ритуал

wear — where /weəʳ/

wear — носить (об одежде), быть одетым в…

where — где, куда (наречие)

• I will be wearing blue jeans. — Я буду в синих джинсах.

wait — weight /weɪt/

wait — ждать

weight — вес

• You’ve put on some weight in the waist. — Ты немного набрал(а) в талии.

weigh — way /weɪ/

weigh — весить, взвешивать

way — путь, способ

• I weigh nearly twice as much as you. — Я вешу вдвое больше тебя.

Омофоны с прилагательными

allowed — aloud /əlaʊd/

allowed — разрешенный (причастие от глагола allow /əlaʊ/ — разрешать)

aloud — слух, громко

• Parking is not allowed here. — Здесь нельзя парковаться.

fair — fare /feəʳ/

fair — справедливый; также «светлый» (например, fair hair — светлые волосы). Также оно может быть существительным и переводиться «ярмарка» (e.g. The World Trade Fair — Всемирная Торговая Выставка)

fare — плата за проезд

• It’s not fair! — Это не справедливо!
• The one-way fare to Cambridge is approximately $25. — Билет до Кембриджа в одну сторону стоит около 25 долларов.

weak — week /wiːk/

weak — слабый

week — неделя

• I can hear a weak sound. — Я слышу слабый звук.

Ошибки в произношении приводят к проблемам восприятия быстрой английской речи на слух. Рекомендую приобрести наш «Полный Справочник по Правилам Чтения». Он поможет заполнить пробелы в знании правил произношения и поможет избежать распространенных ошибок.

Другие части речи

eye — I /aɪ/

eye — глаз

I — я (всегда пишется с большой буквы)

four — for /fɔːʳ/

four — 4

for — предлог «для» (цель, назначение)

Важно: предлог for будет звучать похоже на FOUR только в сильной позиции, например, если стоит в конце предложения.

• What you looking for? — Чего ты ищешь?

hour — our /aʊəʳ/

hour — час

our — наш(а)

two — to — too /tuː/

two — 2

too — также (наречие)

to — предлог направления (ситуация с произношением такая же, как у предлога FOR — будет читаться /tuː/ только в сильной позиции).

their — there

Произношение: /ðəʳ/ — в слабой позиции; /ðeəʳ/ — в сильной позиции

their — их (местоимение)

there — там (наречие)

Полезные ресурсы по омофонам в английском:

70 популярных омофонов английского языка

101 English homophones you should know

Звучат ли все эти слова правильно в вашем произношении?

Ведь если вас смущает тот факт, что слово произносится похоже на другое, и вы пытаетесь его произносить по-особому, вы не будете его слышать в речи других людей, а они не будут понимать вас.

Знание омофонов помогает значительно расширить словарный запас, а также улучшить правильность вашего произношения, если у вас есть пробелы в знаниях правил чтения.

Приглашаем на наш Telegram канал: короткие уроки по самым важным разговорным фразам с примерами и упражнениями. Учитесь английскому с удовольствием. Подписывайтесь >>

Download English Homophones pdf 

Would you like a English Homophones Word List pdf download? Here is the full English homphones list of over 100 English homophones. This list includes the most commonly mispronounced English homophones with the International Phonetic Alphabet IPA in a printable .pdf that you can download. 

This is the one of the most comprehensive English homphones lists available and it includes the IPA International Phonetic Alphabet for each homophone example. This homophones list includes all the homophones mentioned on this page and is split into sections for short vowels, long vowels, dipthong vowels and longer words.

This English homophones printable list is a great tool for ESL speakers. 

You should remember to pay attention to vowels and word stress as you go through the list.

For homophone practice with long vowels (you’ll see /:/ in the IPA), you should check you are making a long vowel and not a short vowel.

For homophones practice that have diphthong vowels, make sure you get two vowels in each diphthong vowel.

And importantly, for the homophones practice for multi-syllable words, pay attention to making good word stress in each homophone pair. 

Click the button below to download the English homophones pdf with IPA symbols. This is your full English homophones printable list for revising and improving homophones for clearer spoken English. 

Homophones and Your English Speaking Confidence

When people lack confidence with their spoken English it can really hold them back. It’s tiring and exhausting! 

Revising areas such as how to pronounce English homophones can really help.  The English pronunciation homophones exercises on this page can help people improve their speaking confidence through improved pronunciation skills. 

For many ESL students, covering homophones is an eye opener. We say something is an ‘eye-opener’ when it’s surprising. Many of them say to me ‘All these years and I’ve been trying to say those two words differently, and now I know that they are actually pronounced the same way!’

For example, many of my overseas students from non-English speaking backgrounds mispronounce words like ‘pause’ – they use the incorrect vowel sounds. It helps so much when they understand that ‘pause’ is exactly the same as ‘paws’.

It gives people confidence to know that they are pronouncing homophones correctly. 

Correcting your pronunciation of homophones with this English homphones list can make your English clearer and build your speaking confidence. You can be confident that you are pronouncing these words clearly and correctly. 

Here are answers to questions we’re often asked about English homophones examples: 

How to pronounce the word ‘homophone’?

The word ‘homophone’ is pronounced as /ˈhɒ.mə.foʊn/. The word stress is on the first syllable, the vowel in the 2nd syllable is the weak vowel schwa and the last vowel is the diphthong vowel /oʊ/. 

Why is English pronunciation and spelling more difficult than other languages? 

Spelling and pronunciation is more difficult in English than many other languages because English is not a phonetic language. This means that the way a word is spelled does not tell us exactly how to pronounce it. This makes English pronunciation a challenging area for many learners of English. The spelling and pronunciation are very variable. Words can look very different (eg suite and sweet) and be pronounced the same way! And similarly, words that look similar can be pronounced quite differently, for example, ‘cost’ and ‘post’. 

Why are there so many homophones in English?

English has more homophones than many other languages. This is mainly because over many, many year English has borrowed many words from other languages. Another reason is that the pronunciation of English words has changed quite a lot over time, while its spelling has changed very little. 

What is the difference between a homophone and a homograph?

Like many ESL speakers, you may have heard of homophones and homographs. Are you wondering what’s the difference between a homophone and a homograph? Here is a clear explanation with some examples. 

A homophone is a word that has the same pronunciation as another word but is spelled differently and has a different meaning. For example ‘toe’ and ‘tow’, ‘rows’ and ‘rose’, ‘there’ and ‘their’ and they’re’. 

A homograph is a word that has the same spelling as another word but has a different meaning. Homographs may be pronouced the same way or differently.

For example, homographs that are pronounced differently are: the verb ‘to wind’ and the noun ‘the wind’. The ‘i’ letter is pronounced differently in these two words. Homographs that are pronounced the same way are: the verb ‘to contact’ and the noun ‘a contact’. ‘Contact’ is pronounced the same way for both. 

Improve your pronunciation of homographs and homophones in sentences and conversations with a full Speech Active Course. 

Why is the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) helpful for learning homophones? 

The IPA is set of symbols where each symbol represents a speech sound or tells us where the word stress is. The IPA for English has 44 symbols. The dash /ˈ/ indicates that the next syllable is stressed. 

The IPA tells us the correct pronunciation of a word so it is very helpful when learning homophones. Look at homophones: crews & cruise – they look very different but if we look at the IPA – /kruːz/ – it tells us that the pronunciation is exactly the same for these homophones. 

Here is another example of how the IPA looks for the words ‘moose’ and ‘mousse’. See how this homograph looks in the IPA in the dictionary below. 

Do I need to learn all the IPA symbols?

No, I suggest you just learn the IPA symbols for the sounds that you have difficulty with. Try and identify which sounds are difficult for you and learn the IPA symbols for them. Also you remember that the two dots /:/ are a long vowel, when you see two vowel symbols it means it’s a double or diphthong, when you see this dash /’/ it means the next syllable is stressed. 

If you want to revise the IPA symbols for all the sounds in English, and also revise the pronunciation of all English vowels and consonants, you can do it here:

English Vowel Sounds with IPA Symbols.

English Consonant Sounds with IPA Symbols. 

How can I find out the IPA symbols in words? 

The best way to look up the IPA for an English word is using a good online dictionary. So next time you’re looking up how to pronounce a homophone I recommend the Cambridge Online Dictionary, it’s very reliable and easy to use. The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) in the Cambridge online dictionary is excellent, you can see each IPA symbol and the word stress marked in. You can also click to hear the word pronounced in British and American style English. 

Thank you for visiting our homophones practice page. I hope it has helped you correct the English homophones that you use regularly. 

Here are some other helpful English Pronunciation resources that might help you:

English Word Stress Exercises: videos, audio and voice recorder exercises to help you improve your word stress and emphasis in English. 

Pronounce words like ‘comfortable’ & ‘restaurant’ like a native speaker. Pronouncing words with omitted syllables. 

Improve English Schwa Sound. 

Improve Consonant Clusters. Speakers of Thai, Vietnamese, Burmese, Cantonese and other south east Asian languages will find this page helpful. 

Checklist For Choosing Accent Reduction Training. 

Would you like more help with your English Pronunciation? Contact us to find out more about our English Pronunciation Courses. Our training is tailored specifically for speakers of your language background. See more about our course for speakers of your first language here – Speech Active Course List

See our course tour video below. 

Keep up the great work on improving your spoken English. 

Please contact us at Speech Active to talk more about how we can help you improve : )

Remember, a little bit here and there every day helps.

All the best

Georgie Harding