What is a homophone for the word there?
“There,” “their,” and “they’re” are homophones. That means they sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.
How do you use their there?
Their is the possessive pronoun, as in “their car is red”; there is used as an adjective, “he is always there for me,” a noun, “get away from there,” and, chiefly, an adverb, “stop right there”; they’re is a contraction of “they are,” as in “they’re getting married.”
How many homophones are there?
The following list of 70 homophone pairs contains only the most common homophones, using relatively well-known words. These are headwords only….Common Homophones List.
air | heir |
---|---|
fir | fur |
flour | flower |
for | four |
hair | hare |
Where do we use there?
There can be used in a couple of ways. As an adverb, there is the exact opposite of the word here and means “at that place”: He asked me to go there and check on his fish while he’s away. There is also often used as a pronoun.
What does I’m not crying you are?
It’s a phrase used in sarcasm when someone is obviously crying. When someone doesn’t want to admit that they’re crying, they may use this phrase to turn the attention around on someone else. They quickly wipe away the tear with the back of their sleeve, “No,” they sniffle, clearing their throat, “I’m not crying…
What is the meaning behind crying?
Research has found that in addition to being self-soothing, shedding emotional tears releases oxytocin and endorphins. These chemicals make people feel good and may also ease both physical and emotional pain. In this way, crying can help reduce pain and promote a sense of well-being.
Why are you not crying?
Some people cry more easily than others, and that’s normal. People are different, so it stands to reason that emotional expression varies from person to person. If you can’t cry at all, you might have a hard time working through your own emotions, and you could also find it tough to connect with others.
Why do I cry at everything?
There are a lot of reasons, besides having an immediate emotional response, why you may cry more than normal. Tearfulness is frequently associated with depression and anxiety. People often experience the two conditions at the same time. Certain neurological conditions can also make you cry or laugh uncontrollably.
How can you cry blood?
What causes bloody tears?
- hormone changes.
- menstruation.
- inflammation.
- conjunctival injuries.
- trauma.
- blocked tear duct.
- high blood pressure.
- blood disorders, such as hemophilia.
Why do I cry when others cry?
Dubbed “emotional contagion,” it occurs when you’re interacting with someone who is feeling something strong that in turn causes you to take on that same emotion, says social psychologist Daniel Rempala, PhD.
Do Empaths cry when others cry?
“Empaths have a big heart and can find themselves crying easily when seeing abuse, injustice or natural disasters either on TV, movies or hearing about another’s experience,” Hutchison says. “While others would feel upset, empaths feel others’ emotional pain literally. This can leave them feeling angry or sad.”
Why do girls cry so much?
The reason women cry easily is that women use feelings more dominantly than men. His work shows that women cry 30 to 64 times a year, whereas men only cry 6 to 17 times per year. These results also show that feelings are a contributing factor. The drop in tears is caused by emotional influences.
Why do girls cry guys?
A study from 2012 found that women have 60 percent more prolactin, which is a reproductive hormone that stimulates the production of milk in women after childbirth, than the average male. Emotional tears are especially high in prolactin, which could explain why women cry more often than men.
Why do guys melt when a girl cries?
This is also a reason why guys melt when a girl cries. It’s because it inspires their own empathy and need to feel connected to her. When a woman cries in front of a man, it gives him an opportunity to get closer to her and see her as the vulnerable woman that she is. Therefore making him feel attracted to her.
Is it healthy to cry?
It’s OK to cry. It may even be beneficial to you. If you feel the need to cry, don’t hold back your tears. Tears are a normal, healthy way to express emotion.
Is it OK to cry everyday?
There are people who cry everyday for no particularly good reason, who are truly sad. And if you are tearful everyday over activities that are normal in your life, that may be depression. And that’s not normal and it is treatable.
Is it OK to cry over a girl?
No. Don’t ever cry over a girl if she’s the one that cheated on you or wouldn’t give you a chance. If she broke up with you she had her reasons and there’s no reason to cry over her. I would feel bad on the inside, but don’t cry.
Is it OK to cry for no reason?
Crying is a normal emotional response to many different factors. However, frequent, uncontrollable, or unexplained crying can be emotionally and physically exhausting and can greatly affect daily life. This type of crying may result from a mental health condition, such as burnout, anxiety, or depression.
Why do I cry so easily now?
Hormones Hormones are the chemical messengers that control bodily functions like hunger, reproduction, emotions, and mood. “Anything that causes a shift in hormones, like premenstrual time, postpartum, or menopause, may cause women to cry more easily,” Dr. Saltz says.
Do you need a reason to cry?
In fact, crying is good as it is a natural stress reliever. So, someone who cries may actually be better off than someone who does not. Still, it does not stop anyone from asking that why, sometimes, they cry for no particular reason. Often, tears flow without a reason.
Is there a crying disorder?
Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is a condition that’s characterized by episodes of sudden uncontrollable and inappropriate laughing or crying. Pseudobulbar affect typically occurs in people with certain neurological conditions or injuries, which might affect the way the brain controls emotion.
Homophone List
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The homophones for there are their and they’re.
Make sure you check out our complete homophones list.
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Last Update: Jan 03, 2023
This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested!
Asked by: Larissa Kautzer
Score: 4.6/5
(3 votes)
In linguistics, homonyms, broadly defined, are words which are homographs or homophones, or both.
A more restrictive or technical definition sees homonyms as words that are simultaneously homographs and homophones – that is to say they have identical spelling and pronunciation, whilst maintaining different meanings.
What is a homonym for the word there?
The homonyms for the word ‘there’ include the words ‘their’ and ‘they’re’. These words all sound the same.
What is the homophone of word there?
There, their and they’re are homophones. That means they sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.
What are the 3 different there’s?
Their is the possessive pronoun, as in «their car is red»; there is used as an adjective, «he is always there for me,» a noun, «get away from there,» and, chiefly, an adverb, «stop right there«; they’re is a contraction of «they are,» as in «they’re getting married.»
What are the 10 homonyms?
10 Homonyms with Meanings and Sentences
- Cache – Cash:
- Scents – Sense:
- Chile – Chili:
- Choir – Quire:
- Site – Sight:
- Facts- Fax:
- Finnish – Finish:
31 related questions found
What’s the difference between your and you re?
Your is possessive, meaning that something belongs to you or the person you are speaking to. For example, “What is your name?” Or, “Are these your car keys?” You’re is a combination of the words, you and are. This is called a contraction.
How do you use your in a sentence?
Use “Your” in a Sentence Prior to a Noun or Pronoun
- Just give him your pen.
- Go deliver your newspapers.
- George is not planning to go to your house.
- Is that your shoe in the ditch?
- You must eat your vegetables before you can play your game.
What is the word too mean?
Too is an adverb that can mean “excessively” or “also.” Just to be clear: two is pronounced the same as to and too, but it can’t be used instead of either of them because it’s a number.
What is thare?
there, in that place.
Why do people mix up there their and they re?
The three are often mixed up when writing, because they sound exactly the same. However, the meanings of these three words couldn’t be more different. Let’s start with their. It’s the possessive form of they, which means it is used to show ownership or belonging.
What does each of their mean?
There means the opposite of here; “at that place.” Their means “belongs to them.” They’re is a contraction of “they are” or “they were.”
What is the difference between there and the?
As adverbs the difference between the and there
is that the is with a comparative or more and a verb phrase, establishes a parallel with one or more other such comparatives while there is (location) in a place or location (stated, implied or otherwise indicated) at some distance from the speaker (compare here ).
What is the homophone of Boy?
The homophone for «boy» is «buoy.» A boy is a male human being who has yet to reach adulthood while a buoy is an anchored float…
How do you use this and these?
The two words are similar because they refer to nouns that are near in space and time. This is used with singular or uncountable nouns (i.e. this egg or this music). These refers to plural nouns (i.e. these cookies).
What are 100 Homographs examples?
Homograph Examples
- agape – with mouth open OR love.
- bass – type of fish OR low, deep voice.
- bat — piece of sports equipment OR an animal.
- bow – type of knot OR to incline.
- down – a lower place OR soft fluff on a bird.
- entrance – the way in OR to delight.
- evening – smoothing out OR after sunset.
- fine – of good quality OR a levy.
Homophones: they’re, there, and their.
Homophones are words that sound the same when pronounced out loud but have different meanings. Homophones such as they’re, there, and there confuse kids, slip past spell check, and pop up all over the place as typos and misspellings.
To make things worse, many homophones have different spellings, which means spell check ignores them, since alternative spellings are correct.
These little devils of the English language give readers headaches and copy editors nightmares, so it’s up to us as writers to learn how to use homophones correctly. If we can do that, we can spread proper homophone spelling and usage to the far corners of the planet.
They’re, There, and Their
I’m willing to bet that they’re, there, and their are among the most commonly misspelled and misused words in the English language. You see it all the time — in newspapers and magazines, on blog posts and comments, even on signs and advertisements – there is used where their should be, and vice versa. Throw they’re into the mix and you’ve got a big mess.
It’s pretty disheartening.
But there are some easy ways to remember which homophone is correct when you’re using they’re, there, and there. And for those of you who already know how these three homophones should be used properly, let this be a reminder that we cannot rely on spell check.
They’re
This is the easiest of the three because it’s a contraction, which means that the word itself is actually two words shortened and joined by an apostrophe:
They + are = they’re
If you can say “they are” in place of “they’re” then you are using it correctly. But if “they are” doesn’t work, then you’ll need to look to one of the other spellings of this word.
There
The trick to remembering how to use there is hidden inside the word itself. There refers to a distant location.
She put her books over there.
In the example above, there refers to a place. Another word that refers to a place is here, which refers to a nearby location.
She left her books here.
If you’re using there to indicate a location (i.e. over there), make sure you use the spelling that has the word here tucked inside: T H E R E
Their
Their is a possessive pronoun. This means it’s a word used to show that someone owns something. For example:
The Smiths just washed their car.
The car belongs to them (the Smiths), and their demonstrates ownership. How to remember? Well, look at the spelling: t-h-e-i-r. Within this word is another word, and as luck would have it, this other word also implies (future) ownership. The word inside is heir.
If you’re using their to indicate ownership or possession, check to see if the word heir is within the spelling: T H E I R
Get in on the Homophones Challenge
Here are a few more sets of homophones:
- Too, two, to
- Its, it’s
- Accept, except
Do you ever get hung up on how to properly spell and use homophones? Got any tricks for remembering correct homophone spellings? Can you think of any other homophones to add to this list?
Their, there, and they’re are all pronounced the same way. Their is the possessive pronoun, as in «their car is red»; there is used as an adjective, «he is always there for me,» a noun, «get away from there,» and, chiefly, an adverb, «stop right there»; they’re is a contraction of «they are,» as in «they’re getting married.»
Homophones — words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings — can be tricky. There are three in particular that commonly confuse people. They’re very tricky, in part because of their usefulness, which means that we call on them over and over in our writing here and there.
There’s no need to confuse there, they’re, and their. While they’re not an easy group of words, with practice you can master their distinctions.
«There» Usage
And we’ll start there. That one has the word here in it, which is helpful. It can remind us that this particular there is often about location:
There it is.
Put it there.
Stay there.
We’ll be there soon.
It’s about location in the more abstract sense too:
There you go.
There is where we disagree.
Friends who are always there for you.
It’s also the one to use as the first word in sentences that have the subject after the verb:
There is a nice hotel in the town.
And it’s the one used with the verb be at the beginning of sentences and questions:
There are plenty available.
Is there a hotel in the town?
The other two are trickier because they both have the idea of the plural in them. They key is discerning between the contraction for «they are» (they’re) and the possessive of «belonging to them» (their).
«They’re» Usage
They’re is a contraction that means «they are.» You can remember that apostrophes indicate the possessive only when used of ‘s, such as «the writer’s thoughts.» Otherwise, it’s generally a contraction of two words, as in can’t = cannot, or won’t = will not, or an omission of a letter or letters, as in singin’ for singing and ’em for them in stick it to ’em.
They’re (=they are) funny people.
They’re (=they are) the cutest puppies ever.
It can be used of non-living things too:
They’re (=they are) both really good books.
They’re (=they are) two of our biggest problems.
«Their» Usage
The last of this trio, their, is the possessive form of they, so it has to do with what belongs to, relates to, or is made or done by certain people, animals, or things:
It’s their house.
We’re their neighbors.
The trees are losing their leaves.
Their also has a long history of being used as a singular pronoun. Associate Editor Emily Brewster explains its usage in this video.
And there you go. They’re not an easy group of words, but with practice we know you can master their distinctions.
In summary:
There is the most common. It has the word here in it, which is helpful because it’s often about location. They’re always means «they are.» Their is the possessive form of they.
Want More Commonly Confused Words?
‘Then’ vs. ‘Than’
‘Who’ vs. ‘Whom’
‘Affect’ vs. ‘Effect’
‘Further’ vs. ‘Farther’
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there are two homophones for «there». there is «their» as in it is their toy. there is «they’re»wich means they are.
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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 | |
|
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 | |
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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
- 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!
- 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?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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?!
- 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.
- 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?
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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!
- 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).
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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)
- 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.
- 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).
- 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).
- 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.
- 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?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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?
- 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?
- 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
- 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!
- 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?
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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?
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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’.
- 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.”
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
EXERCISE A
Put the follow homophones into the sentences: pause, paws, pours, pores.
- Whenever it rains, the water _____ off the roof into the drain.
- If you feel nervous during the presentation, then just _____ for a moment.
- A facial scrub helps clean the _____ and prevent spots.
- Could you please keep your dirty _____ off the biscuits!
EXERCISE B
Write down the correct homophone for each of the jokes.
Q: Why was the mortgage sad?
A: Because it was a loan!
Q: Why will you never starve to death in a desert?
A: Because of all the sandwiches there!
Q: Why does a milking stool only have three legs?
A: Because the cow’s got the udder!
EXERCISE C
Choose the correct homophone in each of the following sentences.
- Our company’s guiding principal/principle is trust.
- Its/it’s forecast to rain all next week.
- If you’re going swimming in the sea, be careful of the current/currant!
- I’ve decided to except/accept the new job at Google.
EXERCISE D
Find the errors in the following text and correct the spelling of the homophones.
I went to sea the doctor on Thursday because I thought I’d caught flue. When I arrived, I wasn’t shore wear the waiting room was sow I asked at reception. They told me witch doctor to see and ware to go. Their were few patients sew I went straight in. The doctor took a pencil to rite down my symptoms. He said I didn’t have flew, but that stress could be the sauce of my headaches. He gave me some aspirin, which soon took affect. I was pleased that my visit had not been in vein.
Answers:
A = pours, pause, pores, paws
B = alone, sand which is there, other (regional pronunciation)
C = principle, it’s, current, accept
D = see, flu, sure, where, so, which, where, there, so, write, flu, source, effect, vain
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Liam G.
— Staff Writer.
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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.
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