What is a homophone for the word you

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.

Find this post useful? Share it with friends!

• Do you no wear my sun is?
• Eye think his hear.
• Oh, know. His their.

Does the above dialogue make sense to you? If not, read it aloud.
When pronounced, the words will sound exactly the same as in this dialogue:

• Do you know where my son is?
• I think he’s here.
• Oh, no. He’s there.

’No’ is pronounced just like ’know’, ’wear’ is just like ’where’, and so on.

Words like these – that are pronounced the same, but differ in meaning – are called homophones.

You might not pay too much attention to them while speaking, however, when it comes to writing, you may end up making some funny mistakes if you mix up two homophones that are spelled differently.

• Thank you for the fantastic dinner. It was lovely to meat your wife.

Can you spot the mistake? I hope you won’t make it the next time you want to send a thank you card.

^{In the following lesson, you’ll find sentences and pictures (thanks to Pablo Stanley and Kaplan International. You can check the original images here and here and also discover how you can study English abroad) to help you remember how to spell some of the most common homophones.}

1. AIR/HEIR

air
oxygen and other gases that we breathe in

• It’s spring. Love is in the air and the birds are singing.

heir
the person who is next in line in a family and inherits something

• When the new royal heir is born, hundreds of balloons are sent up in the air to celebrate the event.

2. AISLE/ISLE

aisle
a passageway between seats in rows

• Would you like a window or an aisle seat?
• An aisle seat, please. I wouldn’t like to sit next to the window, I’m afraid of heights.

isle
a small island

• They’re planning to build an airport on the isle. I think it’s a fantastic idea.

3. BALD/BAWLED 

BALD
someone who has no hair on his head is bald

• Will you love me if I go bald?
• Don’t worry. Look at how handsome Bruce Willis is. And he is bald.

BAWLED
past form of ’bawl’, it means ’cry loudly’

• When I realized I was going bald, I bawled liked a child. I don’t want to look like Captain Picard from Star Trek.
• You shouldn’t have bawled so hard. Captain Picard is really cool.

4. BAND/BANNED
BAND

• I’d like to form a rock band. Can you play any musical instruments?

BANNED
(ban-banned-banned) to prohibit, not allow

• I’d love to be in a rock band, but I thought you were banned from playing loud music in the house.

5. BARE/BEAR

BARE
naked, not covered

• Susy was wearing a daring dress at the party. It revealed her bare legs.

BEAR
a big animal with dark brown coat that lives in woods and eats smaller animals and fruit

• I took my son to the zoo to see the new baby bear. He loved it. I think I’ll get him a Teddy bear for his next birthday.

6. BE / BEE

BE
exist (am,is,are,was,were,been)

• I’d like to be famous one day.

BEE
a flying, stinging insect that makes honey

• I wonder what it’s like to be a bee. Bees seem to be working all day.

7. BREAK/BRAKE

BREAK
smash something by dropping, bending or damaging it somehow

• You’ll break something if you keep playing football in the living room. Can you stop it, please?

BRAKE
a device to make a car go slower/stop

• I’ll have to get my brakes checked. I think there’s something wrong with them.
• Is the garage open on Sunday? I don’t want you to crash the car.

8. BORED/BOARDBORED
not interested in your current activity

• I’m bored with you. Are homophones the only thing you can talk about?

BOARD
a flat piece of wood on which you can write, play a game or do sports like surfing, skateboarding etc.

• Whenever the teacher goes to the whiteboard and writes something on it, the students start chatting.

9. BUY/BY

BUY
getting something for money

• I’d like to buy a piano, but my husband doesn’t really like the idea.

BY
through, via

• Do you go to work by car?
• No, I can’t drive. I always go by train.

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More for you:
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10. CELL/SELL

CELL
a room in a prison/ the smallest part of an organism

• How many cells are there in a human body?

SELL
giving something to somebody in return for money

• I’ve decided to sell my house and move to Australia.

11. CENT/SCENT

CENT
1/100th of a dollar

• They don’t deserve a cent after what they have done to you.

SCENT
smell, odour, fragrance

• Could you feel the scent of jasmine in the garden? It was so lovely.

12. CLAWS/CLAUSE

CLAWS
a sharp, curvy structure at the end of the paws of animals

• I’m not sure if I should trim my cat’s rear claws. Do you know anything about cats?

CLAUSE
a section of a legal document

• Don’t sign that contract before you read and understand every word and clause!

13. CURRENT/CURRANT

CURRENT
happening/existing now

• Are you happy in your current job?
• Yes, I am. My current employer is much nicer than the previous one.

CURRANT
small, black or red berry that grows on bushes

• Would you like some ice-cream with your blackcurrants?
• I’d love some, thanks. Ice-cream and currants are my idea of heaven.

14. DEAR/DEER

DEAR
loved and valued

• You are my dearest friend, you know.
• Am I? You’re dear to me as well.

DEER
an animal with hooves and antlers that lives in the woods

• I had venison steak for lunch.
• What’s venison?
• Oh dear, you don’t know?  It’s deer meat.

15. DIE/DYE DIE
stop living

• My dog’s very old. I’m afraid he’ll die soon.

DYE
to colour materials or hair

• I’m thinking of dying my hair. Should I dye it blue or pink?
• I think your parents will just die if you show up with pink hair.
• Right, I’ll dye it blue then.

16. FAIR/FARE

FAIR
honest/ consistent with rules/ light in colour, clear

• Mum, that’s not fair! I did the washing up yesterday. It’s Jack’s turn today.

FARE
money you pay for transportation

• I can’t visit my parents very often. The train fare is too expensive.

17. FLEE/FLEA

FLEE
run away from danger

• If I was a bit younger, I’d flee this boring town and move to the capital.

FLEA
a small insect that lives in the fur of animals

• Do you think fleas go into human hair?
• Well, a flea may jump on it if you’re around animals, but I don’t think it would like it there.

18. FLOUR/FLOWER

FLOUR
white powder-like foodstuff that’s obtained by grinding grains

• Can you buy some flour on your way home? I’d like to make pizza for dinner.
• Of course I will. I would do anything to have pizza for dinner.

FLOWER
the most beautiful part of plants that blossoms and smells nice

• You should make your wife breakfast in bed a few times every month. And don’t forget to lay a single flower on the tray before you serve it.

19. GRIZZLY/GRISLY

GRIZZLY
a big, brown bear that lives in North America

• Would you like to come trekking with us? We’re going to the Rockies.
• You must be joking. What will you do if you bump into a grizzly?

GRISLY
unpleasant and frightening

• Did you see those black and white photos in her living room?
• Yeah, they’re rather grisly, aren’t they? Especially the one with the zombies.

20. GUERRILLA/GORILLA

GUERRILLA
a member of a small group of irregular soldiers

• Guerrilla warfare has had a big impact on the area. It’s not a safe place to go on holiday anymore.

GORILLA
the largest and strongest ape

• Have you seen the film ’King Kong’? It’s about a giant gorilla that is taken to New York to be exhibited.

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More for you:
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21. HAIR/HARE

HAIR
what grows on your head

• Her hair used to be much shorter. Do you think she’s got hair extensions?

HARE
an animal that’s similar to a rabbit, but has longer ears and legs

• Rabbits live underground, but hares live in overground nests.
• Can I get a pet hare?

22. HEAL/HEEL

HEAL
become or make healthy again

• How long will this wound take to heal?

HEEL
the part of a foot that’s under the ankle

• I hurt my left heel while playing football. I hope it will heal soon.

23. HEROINE/HEROIN

HEROINE
a brave woman, usually the principal character of a book or a film

• My favourite heroine is Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter books.

HEROIN
a white, highly addictive narcotic

• I stopped reading that book when the heroine turned out to be a heroin addict. I don’t like stories about drug addicts. They’re so sad.

24. HOLY/WHOLLY

HOLY
sacred, dedicated to God

• The Christian holy book is called the Bible.

WHOLLY
completely, fully

• The dress she was wearing to church was wholly inappropriate.

25. HUMERUS/HUMOROUS

HUMERUS
the bone in the body which is between the shoulder and the elbow

• Humerus fractures usually heal without surgery, but you may have to wear a shoulder sling for a couple of weeks.

HUMOROUS
funny, comical

• I write humorous stories for children in my free time, but my daughter doesn’t seem to like them at all.

26. IDOL/IDLE

IDOL
a false god, someone or something people love and adore

• Aretha Franklin is my idol. She’s such a fantastic singer.

IDLE
not busy, lazy

• Peter’s such an idle child. He never does his homework and doesn’t pay attention in class at all.

27. IN/INN

IN
contained/inside something

• I love living in this town. I can spend hours just watching the people go by.

INN
a small hotel that provides food and accommodation

• We usually stay in this inn when we are visiting my parents. It’s the best inn in town.

28. KNOT/NOT

KNOT
when you tie two pieces of string or rope together a knot is formed

• My son can tie his shoelaces by himself now. He tied his first ever knot last week.

NOT
a word you use to make negative forms

• I do not remember when my daughter learnt how to tie a knot. She was not as young as your son.

29. MADE/MAID

MADE
past form of ’make’

• I made a cake for my husband’s birthday.

MAID
a woman you pay to do housework for you

• I think I’ll hire a maid. I can’t do everything myself, can I?

30. MORNING/MOURNING

MORNING
the part of the day after sunrise

• I feel really unsocial in the morning until I have my first coffee. It’s not the best time to talk to me about important things.

MOURNING
the sad emotion you feel after somebody you love dies

• In my country, women wear black clothes during the mourning period.

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More for you:
List of Sentence Connectors in English with Examples!
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31. MUSCLES/MUSSELS

MUSCLES
fiber-like, flexible organ that moves the bones and different parts of the body

• Arnold Schwarzenegger is really muscular. Have you seen his muscles? They’re huge like mountains.

MUSSELS
edible, marine animals with soft bodies inside black or green shells

• I saw Arnold Schwarzenegger in a restaurant last night. He was eating mussels with bare hands.
• Oh, I hate mussels.

32. NIGHT/KNIGHT

NIGHT
the time between sunset and sunrise

• Where were you last night? I waited up for you until 2am. You shouldn’t be out so late at night.
• Mum, I was in bed all night. Why didn’t you knock on my door?

KNIGHT
a medieval soldier, a gentleman

• Why don’t you go out with Jack? You can’t wait for a knight in shining armor forever.
• I’m not waiting for a knight, but I definitely need someone more reliable than Jack.

33. NONE/NUN

NONE
not any, no one

• None of the students wanted to go to the museum, so we ended up feeding the pigeons on the square.

NUN
a woman who belongs to a religious order and lives in a monastery

• Why did Mother Teresa become a nun?
• She just liked helping people, I guess.

34. OUR/HOUR

OUR
belonging to us

• Our house is the nicest in the street.

HOUR
sixty minutes

• It takes an hour to get to our house from here.

35. PAIR/PEAR

PAIR
two similar things together

• I need a new pair of shoes. Will you come with me to help me choose?

PEAR
juicy fruit, similar to an apple in size

• Would you like to stay for tea? I’m making pear tarts.
• I’ve never tried pear tarts. Are they as good as apple tarts?

36. PATIENCE/PATIENTS

PATIENCE
the capacity of being tolerant and able to wait without getting angry

• You’d better stop kicking your sister. I’m losing my patience and you don’t want to find out what happens when I’ve lost it.

PATIENTS
people who receive medical advice and care

• I’ve got so many patients to visit today. I’m not sure if I’ll have the patience to listen to all of them.
• But Dr Brown, there are only two more patients left.

37. PAUSE/PAWS

PAUSE
stop something temporarily

• Let’s pause the film. I want to go to the kitchen to get more popcorn.

PAWS
the feet of animals like cats or dogs

• My cat puts her paws gently on my face every morning to wake me up. It’s lovely, but she never seems to notice how early it is.

38. PIECE/PEACE

PIECE
a part of something

• Here, have a piece of apple pie. I made it myself.

PEACE
the state of tranquillity and no war

• I wish there was peace on Earth.

39. PLAIN/PLANE

PLAIN
simple, clear, unmixed

• I like all kinds of chocolate. Chocolate with nuts, chocolate with fruit, chocolate with cream filling or just plain chocolate.

PLANE
aeroplane, airplane

• I’m not afraid of flying, but I really don’t like sitting in a plane for hours. It’s so boring.

40. POOR/POUR

POOR
someone who doesn’t have enough money/ someone you feel sorry for

• Poor Jackie! She didn’t pass the exam, even though she had studied a lot.

POUR
to make some liquid flow onto or into something

• You poor thing! You must be freezing, it’s so cold outside. Come in, let me pour you some nice, hot tea.

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More for you:
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41. PROPHETS/PROFITS

PROPHET
someone who teaches the words of God and makes predictions about the future

• Do you think there are any modern day prophets? Do we still need prophets?

PROFITS
the money businesses have left after paying all the expenses

• A lot of companies are more interested in profits than the safety of their workers.

42. SAIL/SALE 

SAIL
to move smoothly through water or air

• I’d like to sail through the Mediterranean. Do you want to come with me?

SALE
selling goods or services

• Ted’s house is for sale. I wonder where he’s going to move once it’s sold.

43. SAW/SAW

SAW
past tense of ’see’

• I saw Glenn at the post office yesterday, but she didn’t see me.

SAW
a thin metal tool that is used for cutting wood

• Have you seen my saw? I’d like to make a house for the dog.

44. SERIAL/CEREAL

SERIAL
a story published or performed in parts

• I like that website. I can watch my favourite TV serials there online.

CEREAL
breakfast food made from grains, eaten with milk

• What’s your favourite breakfast cereal?

45. SO/SEW

SO
to a certain extent

• I’m so happy, I could kiss you. Thanks a lot for the lovely present.

SEW
make or repair clothes using a needle and thread

• I love designing clothes, but I can’t sew.
• Why don’t you learn how to sew? I’d be so glad to wear the clothes you make.

46. SOUL/SOLE 

SOUL
the spirit of a person

• Do you like my painting? I put my heart and soul in it.
• Well, I can see some paint there on a canvas, but I can’t see your heart and soul anywhere.

SOLE
a type of fish native to Europe, valued as food  – ALSO –

the under surface of a person’s foot

• I’d like to make something light for dinner. Have you got any sole recipes?
• The soles of their feet were nearly black with dirt.

47. WAIST/WASTE

WAIST
the part of the human body that’s between the upper body and the lower body

• She got extremely upset when I told her. She was just standing there with her hands on her waist and didn’t say a word.

WASTE
when you spend money or time on something you don’t really need, it’s a waste

• Let’s not waste more time on this subject. We’ve said everything that can be be said.

48. WAIT/WEIGHT

WAIT
to spend time and stay somewhere until something happens

• Will you wait here until I get back? I won’t be long.

WEIGHT
the weight of something shows how heavy it is

• Do you think I should lose some weight?
• No, I don’t. I actually think you need to put on some weight- you’re too thin.

49. WINE/WHINE

WINE
alcoholic drink made of grapes

• A glass of red wine before bed is good for your heart.

WHINE
complain like a child

• Don’t whine! I won’t give you more wine unless you stop whining.

50. WRITE/RIGHT

WRITE
to form letters, words and sentences using pen and paper or a computer

• How old were you when you learnt to write?
• I was three years old.Three?

RIGHT
correct, true

• That’s right. I was only three when I learnt to write.

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Homophones Translation

English	1. Ad – Add, 2. Air – Heir, 3. All – Awl, 4. Allowed – Aloud, 5. Alms – Arms
Spanish	1. Anuncio – Añadir, 2. Aire – Heredero, 3. Todo – Punzón, 4. Permitido – En voz alta, 5. Limosna – Armas
French	1. Ad – Ajouter, 2. Air – Héritier, 3. Tous – Allier, 4. Autorisé – A haute voix, 5. Aumône – Armes
Italian	1. Annuncio – Aggiungere, 2. Aria – Erede, 3. Tutto – Punteruolo, 4. Permesso – Ad alta voce, 5. Elemosina – Braccia
German	1. Anzeigen – Hinzufügen, 2. Luft – Erbe, 3. alle – Ahle, 4. erlaubt – laut, 5. alms – Arme
Hungarian	1. Hirdetés – Hozzáadás, 2. Levegő – Örökös, 3. Minden – Ál, 4. Engedélyezett – Hangosan, 5. Alamizsnát – Karok
Portuguese	1. Anúncio – Adicionar, 2. ar – Herdeiro, 3. tudo – Coruja, 4. permitido – Em voz alta, 5. esmola – Braços
Russian	1. Реклама – Добавить, 2. Воздух – Наследник, 3. Все – Аул, 4. Разрешено – Вслух, 5. Милостыня – Оружие
Slovenian	1. Oglas – Dodaj, 2. Zrak – Dedič, 3. Vse – Šila, 4. Dovoljeno – Glasno, 5. Almuzina – Roka
Czech	1. Přídavek – Přidat, 2. Vzduch – Dědic, 3. Vše – Šídlo, 4. Povoleno – Nahlas, 5. Almužna – Ruce
Dutch	1. Reclame – Toevoegen, 2. Lucht – Erfgenaam, 3. Alles – Awl, 4. Toegestaan – Hardop, 5. Armen – Armen
Chinese	1.广告–添加，2.空气–继承人，3.所有–箭头，4.允许–大声，5.施舍–武器
Polish	1. Reklama – Dodaj, 2. Powietrze – Dziedzic, 3. Wszystko – Awl, 4. Dozwolone – Głośno, 5. Jałmużna – Broń
Swedish	1. Reklam – tillägg, 2. Luft – arvtagare, 3. Alla – panna, 4. Tillåtet – högt, 5. Alms – armar

English	1. Ant – Aunt, 2. Arc – Ark, 3. Ate – Eight, 4. Aural – Oral 5. Bald – Bawled
Spanish	1. Hormiga – Tía, 2. Arco – Arca, 3. Ave – Ocho, 4. Aural – Oral 5. Calvo – Batido
French	1. Fourmi – Tante, 2. arceau – Arche, 3. Ate – Huit, 4. auditif – Oral, 5. chauve – braillé
Italian	1. Formica – Zia, 2. Arc – Arca, 3. Mangia – Otto, 4. Aural – Orale, 5. Calvo – Balenò
German	1. Ameise – Tante, 2. Bogen – Arche, 3. aß – Acht, 4. aural – mündlich, 5. kahl – gebrüllt
Hungarian	1. Hangya – néni, 2. Ív – bárka, 3. Evett – nyolc, 4. Hangos – szóbeli 5. Kopasz – üvöltött
Portuguese	1. Formiga – Tia, 2. Arca – Arca, 3. Comida – Oito, 4. Aural – Oral, 5. Careca – Berrada
Russian	1. Муравей – тетя, 2. Арк – ковчег, 3. Ел – восемь, 4. Аурал – устный, 5. Лысый – орал
Slovenian	1. Mravlja – teta, 2. Ark – arka, 3. Ete – osem, 4. Aural – ustno, 5 Toplega – bledi
Czech	1. Mravenec – teta, 2. Oblouk – archa, 3. Jídlo – osm, 4. Sluch – ústní, 5. Lysý – plavý
Dutch	1. Mier – Tante, 2. Boog – Ark, 3. Eet – Acht, 4. Auditief – Mondeling, 5. Kaal – Gebauwd
Chinese	1. 蚂蚁–阿姨，2.弧形–方舟，3.吃–八，4.听–口述，5.秃头–嚎啕大哭
Polish	1. Mrówka – Ciotka, 2. Łuk – Arka, 3. Ate – Osiem, 4. Aural – Ustny, 5. Łysy – Bawił się
Swedish	1. Myr – moster, 2. Ark – ark, 3. Ät – åtta, 4. Hörsel – muntligt, 5. Skallig – skällde

More for you:
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And don’t forget, you can always use spell/grammar checkers to instantly proofread your writing.

I hope you’ve found this lesson interesting and you’re not board. Umm, I mean bored.
Remember, these are mistakes that spell checkers won’t recognize, so pay extra attention to homophones when writing. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comment area below. We are hear two help. I mean, we are here to help.

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

Here’s a complete A-Z list that contains thousands of different homophones.

We’ve included as many different homophones as we could find, but also have some guidelines you can read that explain how these words made it on to our list, as well as the reasons why some were left off.

If you think we’ve missed some words out of our homophones list, we’d love to hear from you! Just get in touch here to share your ideas – if they get added to the list, we’ll give you a credit on this page.

Needless to say, this list is pretty long. If you want to find a specific word and its related homophones, there are a few ways you can do this:

• Look through the list for the word(s) you need (it’s in alphabetical order)
• Use the CTRL + F search functionality in your browser to search the page for the word(s)
• Use our search box in the top right corner of the page – this will search the entire site

For words that are used more often in everyday language, you may prefer our list of most common homophones.

If you find that this page is helpful, you may also find all our homophone activities useful too – we have loads of free homophone worksheets, riddles, jokes, games and more.

Homophones List

laud*lord*

lauds*lords*

absence	absents
accede	axseed
accepter	acceptor
accidence	accidents
acclamation	acclimation
ad	add
adds	ads	adze
aerial	areal	ariel*
aid	aide
adherence	adherents
adolescence	adolescents
adulteress	adulterous
adventuress	adventurous
aerie	aery	airy	eyrie
aes	ease
ai	aye	eye	I
ail	ale
air	aire	are	ayre	ere	eyre	heir
aisle	I’ll	isle
ait	ate	eight
all	awl
allowed	aloud
allusion	elusion	illusion
alms	arms
altar	alter
analyst	annalist
ant	aunt
ante	anti	auntie
apatite	appetite
appose	oppose
apps	apse
arc	ark
aren’t	aunt
as	ass	asse
ascent	assent
ashore*	assure*
assistance	assistants
attendance	attendants
auger	augur
aught	ought
auk	awk	orc
aura*	ora*
aural	oral
auricle	oracle
autarchy	autarky
away	aweigh
awe	oar	or	ore
awful	offal
axel	axil	axle
axes	axis
ayes	eyes
baa	bah
bad	bade
bail	bale
bailee	bailey	bailie
bailer	bailor	baler
bait	bate
baiter*	beta*
baize	bays	beys
bald	balled	bawled
ball	bawl
balm	barm*	bomb
balmy*	barmy*
baloney	bologna
ban	bann
band	banned
bar	barre
bard	barred
bare	bear
barer*	bearer*
baring*	bearing*
bark	barque
baron	barren
barrel	beryl
basal	basil
base	bass
based	baste
basest	bassist
bask	basque
bat	batt
baud	bawd
bay	bey
bazaar	bizarre
be	bee
beach	beech
bean	been
beat	beet
beater	beta
beau	bow
beaut	butte
been	bin
beer	bier
bees	bise
beetle	betel
bel	bell	belle
belligerence	belligerents
berg	burg
berry	bury
berth	birth
beta*	baiter	beater*
better	bettor
bi	buy	by	bye
bight	bite	byte
billed	build
bird	burd	burred
bit	bitt
bitten	bittern
blair	blare
blend	blende
blew	blue
bloc	block
blond*	blonde*
boar	bore
board	bored
boarder	border
bocks	box
bode	bowed
bogey	bogie	bogy
bold	bowled
bolder	boulder
bole	boll	bowl
boos	booze
bootee	booty
born	bourn	bourne
borough	burro	burrow
boss*	bosse*
bough	bow
bouillon	bullion
boy	buoy
brae	bray
braes	braise	brays	braze
braid	brayed
brain	brane
brake	break
brassie	brassy
breach	breech
bread	bred
brewed	brood
brews	bruise
bridal	bridle
bright*	brite*
broach	brooch
broom	brougham
brows	browse
bruit	brut	brute
buccal	buckle
bundt	bunt
bur	burr
burger	burgher
burley	burly
bus	buss
bused	bussed	bust
but	butt
buyer	byre
cache	cash
cachou	cashew
caddie	caddy	cadi
cain	cane
caird	cared
calculous	calculus
calendar	calender
calix	calyx
calk	caulk
call	caul	col
callous	callus
calve*	carve*
camara	camera
came	kame
can’t	cant
canape	canopy
cannon	canon
canter	cantor
canvas	canvass
capital	capitol
carat	caret	carrot	karat
caries	carries
carol	carrel
carpal	carpel
cart	carte*	kart	khat*
cask	casque
cast	caste
caster	castor
caudal	caudle
caught	court
caulk*	cork*
cause	caws
caw	core	corps
cay	key	quay
cedar	ceder	seeder
cede	seed
ceil	seal	seel
ceiling	sealing
cel	cell	sell
cellar	seller
cense	cents	scents	sense
censer	censor	senser	sensor
census	senses
cent	scent	sent
cerate	serrate
cere	sear	seer	sere
cereal	serial
cession	session
cete	seat
chair	chare
chaise	shays
champagne	champaign
chance	chants
chantey	chanty	shanty
chard	charred
chary	cherry
chased	chaste
chaw*	chore*
cheap	cheep
check	cheque
cheer*	chia*
chews	choose
chic	sheik
chili	chilly
chin	chine
chitin	chiton	kitten
choc	chock
choir	quire
choler	collar
choral	coral
chorale	corral
chord	cord	cored
chordate	cordate
chott	shot
chough	chuff
chrism	chrisom
chronical	chronicle
chucker	chukker
chute	shoot
chyle*	kile*	kyle*
cinque	sink	sync
cinque	sank
cirrous	cirrus	serous
cist	cyst
cist	kissed	kist
cite	sight	site
clabbered	clapboard
clack	claque
clairvoyance	clairvoyants
clause	claws
clew	clue
click	clique	klick
climb	clime
close	cloze
coal	cole	kohl
coaming*	combing*
coarse	course
coat	cote
coax	cokes
cocks	cox
coco	cocoa
coda*	coder*
coddling	codling
coffer	cougher
coin	quoin
collard	collared
collie*	colly*
colonel	kernel
color	culler
come	cum
complacent	complaisant
compleat	complete
complement	compliment
con	conn	khan
concent	consent
conch	conk
condescendence	condescendents
confectionary	confectionery
conker	conquer
consulter	consultor
continence	continents
coo	coup
coolie	coolly	coulee	coulis
cop	kop
cops	copse
copy*	kopje*
coquet	coquette
cornflour*	cornflower*
correspondence	correspondents
cosey	cosy	cozy
cosher	kosher
cosign	cosine
cot	khat
council	counsel
councilor	counselor
courtesy	curtsy
cousin	cozen
coward	cowered
cowrie*	kauri*
coy	koi
craft	kraft
crape	crepe
crater	krater
creak	creek
crew*	cru*
crewed	crude
crewel	cruel
crews	cruise	cruse
cross	crosse
crumby	crummie	crummy
cubical	cubicle
cue	kyu	queue
curb	kerb
currant	current
curser	cursor
cygnet	signet
cymbal	symbol
dam	damn
data*	dater*
daw*	door	dor
days	daze
dean	dene
dear	deer
deasil*	diesel*
deem	deme
delinquence	delinquents
dense	dents
dental	dentil
dependence	dependents
depravation	deprivation
descendant	descendent
descent	dissent
desert	dessert
deuce	douce	dues	juice
deviance	deviants
deviser	devisor	divisor
dew	do	due
dewed	dude
die	dye
dike	dyke
dine	dyne
dire	dyer
disburse	disperse
disc	disk
discreet	discrete
discussed	disgust
dissidence	dissidents
dizi*	dizzy*
do	doe	doh	dough
doc	dock
docks*	dox*
does	doughs	doze
done	dun
dost	dust
dour	dower
douse	dowse
drachm	dram
draft	draught
dray	drey
droop	drupe
dual	duel	jewel	joule
ducked	duct
ducks*	dux*
dyeing	dying
earn	erne	urn
ease	aes
eek*	eke*
eave	eve
eight	ait	ate
elicit	illicit
elusion	allusion	illusion
emerge	immerge
ensure	insure
epic	epoch
equater	equator
equivalence	equivalents
er	err
ere	eyre	air	aire	are	ayre	heir
erk	irk
erred*	urd*
erupt	irrupt
ewe	yew	you	yu*
ewes	use	yews	youse
exalt	exult
exercise	exorcise
expedience	expedients
eye	ai	aye	I
eyed	I’d	ide
eyelet	islet
eyer	ire
eyes	ayes
eyrie	aerie	aery	airy
faery	fairy	ferry
fah	far
faille	file	phial
fain	fane	feign
faint	feint
fair	fare	fayre
faker	fakir
farce*	farse*
farmer	pharma
farming	pharming
faro	farrow	pharaoh
farther	father
fat	phat
fate	fete
faun	fawn
faux*	foe*
fay	fey
fays	faze	phase
fear	fere
feat	feet
feaze	fees	feeze
felloe	fellow
fennel	phenyl
feral	ferrule	ferule
few	phew
fiance	fiancee
fie	phi
fike*	fyke*
fills	fils
filter	philter
find	fined
fir	fur
firs	furs	furze
fish	phish
fisher	fissure
fizz	phiz
flack	flak
flacks	flax
flair	flare
flaw	floor
flay	fley
flea	flee
flecks	flex
flew	flu	flue
flicks*	flix*
flier	flyer
floc	flock
flocks	flocs	flox*	phlox
floe	flow
florescence	fluorescence	fluorescents
flour	flower
foaled	fold
for	fore	four
forbear	forebear
forego	forgo
foreward	foreword	forward
form	forme
formally	formerly
fort	forte	fought
forth	fourth
foul	fowl
fraise	frays	phrase
franc	frank
frater*	freighter*
freak	phreak
frees	freeze	frieze
fret*	frett*
friar	fryer
fro	froe
fungous	fungus
fussed*	fust*
gaff	gaffe
gage	gauge
gait	gate
gaiter	gator
galipot	gallipot
galley	gally
gallop	galop
gamble	gambol
gamin	gammon
gang	gangue
gassed	gast
gaud	gorde	gored	gourd	gourde
gays	gaze
geezer*	geyser*
gel	jell
genes	jeans
gest	jest
ghat	got
ghillie*	gilly*
gibe*	gybe*	jibe*
gild	gilled	guild
gill*	jill*
gilt	guilt
gin	jinn
giro	gyro
glair	glare
gnar	knar
gnaw	nor
gneiss	nice
gnu	knew	new	nu
gnus	news
gofer	gopher
gorilla	guerilla
grade	grayed
graft	graphed
grate	great
grays	graze
greave	grieve
grievance	grievants
grill*	grille*
grip	grippe
grisly	gristly	grizzly
groan	grown
grocer	grosser
guarantee	guaranty
guessed	guest
guide	guyed
guise	guys
gyve	jive
hae	hay	heigh	hey
haik	hike
hail	hale
hair	hare
hall	haul
halve	have
handmade	handmaid
handsome	hansom
hangar	hanger
hart	heart
haw	hoar	hore*	whore
hawed	hoard	horde	whored
hays	haze
heal	heel	he’ll
heald	healed	heeled
hear	here
heard	herd
hears	here’s
he’d	heed
height	hight
heir	air	aire	are	ayre	ere	eyre
herds	hurds
heroin	heroine
hertz	hurts
hew	hue
hi	hie	high
hic	hick
hide	hied
higher	hire
him	hymn
hissed	hist
ho	hoe
hoarse	horse
hoax*	hokes*
hoc	hock	hough
hoes	hose
hold	holed
hole	whole
holey	holy	wholly
holm	hom	home
hoo	who
hoop	whoop
hostel	hostile
hour	our
house	how’s	hows
humerus	humorous
hurdle	hurtle
I	ai	aye	eye
I’d	ide	eyed
idle	idol	idyll
ileum	ilium
I’ll	isle	aisle
illicit	elicit
illusion	allusion	elusion
immanent	imminent
immerge	emerge
impassable	impassible	impossible
impatience	impatiens
impotence	impotents
impugn*	impune*
in	inn
incandescence	incandescents
incidence	incidents
incite	insight
incompetence	incompetents
independence	independents
indict	indite
indigence	indigents
inductance	inductants
infuser	infusor
innocence	innocents
installation	instillation
instance	instants
insure	ensure
intense	intents
intension*	intention*
invade	inveighed
ire	eyer
irk	erk
irrupt	erupt
islet	eyelet
it’s	its
jalousie	jealousy
jam	jamb
jeans	genes
jell	gel
jest	gest
jewel	joule	dual	duel
jibe*	gibe*	gybe*
jinks	jinx
jinn	gin
jive	gyve
juice	deuce	douce	dues
kame	came
karat	carat	caret	carrot
kart	cart	carte*	khat*
kauri*	cowrie*
kerb	curb
kernel	colonel
key	cay	quay
khan	con	conn
khat	cot
kile*	chyle*	kyle*
kissed	kist	cist
kite	kyte
kitten	chitin	chiton
klick	click	clique
knag*	nag*
knap	nap
knar	gnar
knave	nave
knead	kneed	need
knee	nee
knew	gnu	new	nu
knickers	nickers
knight	night
knit	nit
knitted*	nitid*
knob	nob
knock	nock
knot	not
knout*	nowt*
know	no
knows	noes	nose
kohl	coal	cole
koi	coy
kop	cop
kopje*	copy*
kosher	cosher
kraft	craft
krater	crater
krona	krone
kyu	cue	queue
laager	lager	logger
lac	lack	lakh
laches	latches
lacks	lax
lade	laid	leid
lain	lane
lam	lamb
lama	llama
lance	launce
languor*	langur*
laps	lapse
larva	lava
lase	lays	laze	leas	leis	leys
laser	lazar
law	lore
lay	lea	lei	ley
lea	lee	li
leach	leech
lead	led
lead	lede
leader	lieder	liter
leaf	lief
leak	leek
lean	lien
leant*	lent*
lear	leer
leased	least
leave	lieve
leaven	levin
leaver	lever
leerer*	lira*
less	loess
lessen	lesson
lesser	lessor
levee	levy
liar	lier	lyre
lice	lyse
lichen	liken
licht	licked
licker	liquor
lie	lye
lieu	loo
light*	lite*
lightening	lightning
limb	limn
limba*	limber*
links	lynx
literal	littoral
lo	low
load	lode	lowed
loan	lone
loath	loathe
loch	lock	lough
lochs	locks	lox
loon	lune
loop	loupe
loos	lose
loose	luce
loot	lute
lux	luxe
mac	mach	mack
made	maid
mail	male
main	mane	mein
maize	maze
mall	maul
mandrel	mandrill
manna	manner	manor
mantel	mantle
marc	mark	marque
mare	mayor
marquee	marquis
marshal	martial
marten	martin
maser	mazer
mask	masque
massed	mast
mat	matte
maw	moor	more
me	mi
mead	meed
mealie*	mealy*
mean	mesne	mien
meat	meet	mete
meatier	meteor
medal	meddle
meddler	medlar
meeting	meting
metal	mettle
mewl	mule
mews	muse
mho	mot	mow
mic	mike
microlight*	microlite*
middy	midi
might	mite
mil	mill
millenary	millinery
mince	mints
mind	mined
miner	minor	mynah
minks	minx
miscible	missable
missal	missile
missed	mist
misses	missus
moan	mown
moat	mote
mode	mowed
mood	mooed
moose	mousse
mordant	mordent
morn	mourn
morning	mourning
much	mutch
mucous	mucus
mugga*	mugger*
murderess	murderous
murr*	myrrh*
muscle	mussel
mussed	must	musth
mustard	mustered
mutual	mutuel
nae	nay	nee	neigh
nag*	knag*
nap	knap
nappa*	napper*
narc	nark
naval	navel
nave	knave
neap	neep
nee	knee
need	knead	kneed
new	nu	gnu	knew
news	gnus
nice	gneiss
nickel	nickle
nickers	knickers
nicks	nix
nigh	nye
night	knight
nit	knit
no	know
nob	knob
nock	knock
noes	nose	knows
none	nun
noose	nous
nor	gnaw
not	knot
oak	oke
oar	or	ore	awe
od	odd
ode	owed
offal	awful
oh	owe
one	won
oohs	ooze
oppose	appose
oracle	auricle
ora*	aura*
oral	aural
orc	auk	awk
ordinance	ordnance
ought	aught
our	hour
ova*	over*
overdo	overdue
overseas	oversees
pa	pah	par	parr	pas
paced	paste
packed	pact
packs	pax
paean	peon
paid	payed
pail	pale
pain	pane
pair	pare	pear
palate	palette	pallet
pall	pawl
pan	panne
panda*	pander*
parca*	parka*	parker*
pard	parred
parol	parole
parse	pass
pascal	paschal
passable	passible
passed	past
pasta	pastor
paten	patten	pattern
patience	patients
pause	paws	pores	pours
paw	poor	pore	pour
pawn	porn
pe	pea	pee
peace	piece
peak	peek	peke	pique
peal	peel
pean	peen
pearl	purl
peas	pease	pees	pes
pecten	pectin
pedal	peddle
peer	pier
pelisse	police
penance	pennants
pencel	pencil	pensile
pend	penned
pendant	pendent
penitence	penitents
penni	penny
per	purr
permanence	permanents
perse	purse
petrel	petrol
pew	pugh
pharaoh	faro	farrow
pharma	farmer
pharming	farming
phase	fays	faze
phat	fat
phenyl	fennel
phew	few
phi	fie
phial	faille	file
philter	filter
phish	fish
phiz	fizz
phlox	flocks	flocs	flox*
phosphorous	phosphorus
phrase	fraise	frays
phreak	freak
pi	pie
pic	pick
pica	pika
picks	pics	pix	pyx
picnic	pyknic
pidgin	pigeon
pinion	pinon
pistil	pistol
pixie	pyxie
place	plaice
plain	plane
plainer	planar	planer
plait	plate
plantar	planter
pleas	please
pleural	plural
plum	plumb
pocks	pox
pokey	poky
polar	poler	poller
pole	poll
policlinic	polyclinic
politic	politick
pomace	pumice
poodle	pootle
poof	pouf	pouffe
popery	potpourri
populace	populous	populus
praise	prase	prays	preys
pray	prey
precedence	precedents	presidents
precisian	precision
premier	premiere
presence	presents
pressed	prest
presser	pressor
pride	pried
prier	prior
pries	prise	prize
prince	prints
principal	principle
profit	prophet
prophecy	prophesy
pros	prose
psalter	salter
psi	scye	sigh	xi
psychosis	sycosis
pupal	pupil
purest	purist
puttee	putty
queue	cue	kyu
quad	quod
quarts	quartz
quay	cay	key
quean	queen
quince	quints
quire	choir
quoin	coin
quota*	quoter*
rabbet	rabbit
rack	wrack
racket	rackett	racquet
racks	rax	wracks
radical	radicle
raid	rayed
rail	rale
rain	reign	rein
raise	rays	raze
raiser	razer	razor
raki	rocky
rancor	ranker
rang	wrang
rangle*	wrangle*
rap	wrap
rapped	rapt	wrapped
rathe	wraith
raw	roar
ray	re
read	rede	reed
read	red	redd
real	reel
ream*	reem*	rheme*
reave	reeve
recede	reseed
receipt	reseat
reck	wreck
reek	wreak
reference	referents
relaid	relayed
remark	remarque
remittance	remittence	remittents
ren*	wren*
rends	wrens
repeal	repeel
resew	resow
residence	residents
resinate	resonate
resistance	resistants
resister	resistor
rest	wrest
retard	retarred
retch	wretch
review	revue
rex	wrecks
rheum	room
rheumy	roomie	roomy
rho	roe	row
rhos	roes	rose	rows
rhumb	rum
rhyme	rime
rigger	rigor
right	rite	wright	write
ring	wring
riot	ryot
rise	ryes
road	rode	rowed
roc	rock
roil	royal
role	roll
rondeau	rondo
roo	roux	rue
rood	rude	rued
roomer	rumor
roos	rues	ruse
root	route
rosary	rosery
rota	rotor
rote	wrote
rough	ruff	ruffe*
rouse	rows
rout	route
rung	wrung
rye	wry
sac	sack	sacque
saccharin	saccharine
sachet	sashay
sacks	sacques	sacs	sax
sail	sale
salter	psalter
salver	salvor
sandhi	sandy
sane	seine
sank	cinque
sari	sorry
sauce	source
saucer*	sourcer*
sault	sou	sue	xu*
saver	savor
saw	soar	sore
scalar	scaler
scend	send
scene	seen
scent	sent	cent
scents	sense	cense	cents
scull	skull
scye	sigh	psi	xi
sea	see	si
seal	seel	ceil
sealing	ceiling
seam	seem
seaman	seamen	semen
sear	seer	sere	cere
seas	sees	seize
seat	cete
sects	sex
seed	cede
seeder	cedar	ceder
sell	cel	cell
sellar	seller	cellar
senate	sennet	sennit
senser	sensor	censer	censor
senses	census
sequence	sequents
seraph	serif
serf	surf
serge	surge
serial	cereal
serous	cirrous	cirrus
serrate	cerate
session	cession
set	sett
settler	settlor
sew	so	sow
sewed	sowed
sewer	sower
sewer	suer
sewn	sone	sown
sexed	sext
shake	sheik
shanty	chantey	chanty
shays	chaise
she	shea
shear	sheer
sheik	chic
shire	shyer
shoe	shoo
shone	shown
shoot	chute
shot	chott
sibilance	sibilants
sic	seek
sic	sick
sics	six
side	sighed
sigher	sire
sighs	size
sight	site	cite
sign	sine	syne
signet	cygnet
silence	silents
sink	sync	cinque
slay	sleigh
sleave	sleeve
sleight	slight
slew	slough	slue
sloe	slow
soak	soke
sawed*	soared	sord*	sword
sol	sole	soul
sold	soled
some	sum
son	sun	sunn
sonny	sunny
soot	suit
sort	sought
spa	spar
spade	spaed	spayed
spae	spay
spec	speck
spits	spitz
spoor	spore
sprits	spritz
squaller	squalor
stade	staid	stayed
staff	staph
stair	stare
stake	steak
stalk	stork
stanch	staunch
stater	stator
statice	status
stationary	stationery
steal	steel	stele
steer	stere
step	steppe
stile	style
stoop	stoup	stupe
storey	story
straight	strait
strider	stridor
sty	stye
subtler	sutler
succor	sucker
succulence	succulents
suede	swayed
suite	sweet
summary	summery
sundae	Sunday
sundri*	sundry*
swat	swot
sycosis	psychosis
symbol	cymbal
tach	tack
tacked	tact
tacks	tax
tael	tail	taille	tale
tahr	tar
tai*	tie*
tailer	tailor
talk	torque
taper	tapir
tare	tear
tartar	tarter
taught	taut	tort	torte
taupe	tope
tea	tee	ti
teal	teil
tealight*	teallite*
team	teem
tear	tier
teas	tease	tees	tis
tel	tell
tenner	tenor
tense	tents
tenser	tensor
terce	terse
tern	terne	turn
tie	tai	tye
the	thee
their	there	they’re
therefor	therefore
threw	through
throe	throw
throne	thrown
thyme	time
tic	tick
ticks	tics	tix
tide	tied
tier	tire	tyre
tighten	titan
tighter	titer
til	till
timber	timbre
to	too	two
toad	toed	towed
toady	tody
tocsin	toxin
toe	tow
toke	toque
told	tolled
tole	toll
ton	tonne	tun
tongue	tung
tool	tulle
toon	tune
tooter	tutor
tor	tore
torcher	torture
tough	tuff
toughed	tuft
tracked	tract
traitoress	traitorous
tray	trey
tri	try
tride	tried
troche	trochee
troop	troupe
trussed	trust
tuba	tuber
tucks	tux
tuna*	tuner*
turban	turbine
ulna*	ulnar*
ulnar*	ulna*
umbel*	umble*
umble*	umbel*
uncal	uncle
undo	undue
unreal	unreel
urd*	erred*
urn	earn	erne
use	ewes	yews	youse
vail	vale	veil
vain	vane	vein
valance	valence
variance	variants
vary	very
vellum	velum
veena*	vena*
veracious	voracious
verdure	verger
versed	verst
verses	versus
via*	vier*
vial	vile	viol
vice	vise
villain	villein
villous	villus
viscous	viscus
wack	whack
wacks	wax	whacks
wade	weighed
wail	wale	whale
wain	wane
waist	waste
wait	weight
waive	wave
wall	waul
want	wont
war	wore
ward	warred
ware	wear	where
warn	worn
warrantee	warranty
wart	wort
watt	what	wot
way	weigh	whey
we	wee	whee
weak	week
weakly	weekly
weal	we’ll	wheal	wheel
weald	wheeled	wield
wean	ween
weaner	wiener
weather	wether	whether
weave	we’ve
weaver	weever
we’d	weed
weir	we’re
weld	welled
wen	when
were	whir
wet	whet
which	witch
whicker	wicker
while	wile
whiled	wild	wiled
whin	win	wynn
whine	wine
whined	wind	wined	wynd
whirl	whorl
whirled	whorled	world
whirred	word
whish	wish
whit	wit
white	wight	wite
whither	wither
who	hoo
whoa	woe
whole	hole
wholly	holey	holy
whoop	hoop
whore	haw	haw
whored	hawed	hoard	horde
who’s	whose
why	wye
whys	wise	wyes
wind	winned
windlass	windless
wins	winze
won	one
wood	would
worst	wurst
wrack	rack
wracks	racks	rax
wraith	rathe
wrang	rang
wrangle*	rangle*
wrap	rap
wrapped	rapped	rapt
wreak	reek
wreck	reck
wrecks	rex
wren*	ren*
wrens	rends
wrest	rest
wretch	retch
wright	write	right	rite
wring	ring
wrote	rote
wrung	rung
wry	rye
xi	psi	scye	sigh
xu*	sault	sou	sue
y’all	yawl
yack	yak
yaw	yore	your	you’re
yeld*	yelled*
yew	you	yu*	ewe
yews	youse	ewes	use
yippee*	yippie*
yoke	yolk
you’ll	yule
zebras*	zebrass*
zinc*	zink*

* Thanks to Gary D. for the knitted/nitid homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for adding gybe to the gibe/jibe homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for adding hore to the haw/hoar/whore homophones.
* Thanks to Mark G. for the deasil/diesel homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the gill/jill homophones.
* Thanks to John G. for the ducks/dux homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for adding ariel to the aerial/areal homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for adding flox to the flocks/flocs/phlox homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for adding sawed and sord to the soared/sword homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the aura/ora homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the microlight/microlite homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the light/lite homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the tealight/teallite homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the ren/wren homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the chyle/kile/kyle homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the zinc/zink homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the flicks/flix homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the panda/pander homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the tuna/tuner homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the quota/quoter homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the cornflour/cornflower homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the caulk/cork homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the frater/freighter homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the addition of ruffe to rough/ruff.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the tai/tie homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the addition of carte & khat to cart/kart.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the parca/parka/parker homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the crew/cru homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the ova/over homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the laud/lord homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the lauds/lords homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the rangle/wrangle homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the calve/carve homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the faux/foe homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the erred/urd homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the ulna/ulnar homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the umbel/umble homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the coda/coder homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the boss/bosse homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the sundri/sundry homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the mugga/mugger homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the limba/limber homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the ream/reem/rheme homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the cowrie/kauri homophones.
* Thanks to Jeremy R. for the blond/blonde homophones.
* Thanks to Jeremy R. for the data/dater homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the fussed/fust homophones.
* Thanks to Jeremy R. for the eek/eke homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the grill/grille homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the veena/vena homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the coaming/combing homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the via/vier homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the copy/kopje homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the zebras/zebrass homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the dizi/dizzy homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the mealie/mealy homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the addition of xu to the sault/sou/sue homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the addition of yu to the ewe/yew/you homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the impugn/impune homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the knag/nag homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the fike/fyke homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the fret/frett homophones.
* Thanks to Jeremy R. for the barer/bearer homophones.
* Thanks to Jeremy R. for the geezer/geyser homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the beater/beta homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the bright/brite homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the baring/bearing homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the chaw/chore homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the leant/lent homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the languor/langur homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the hoax/hokes homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the murr/myrrh homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the nappa/napper homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the saucer/sourcer homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the collie/colly homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the leerer/lira homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the farce/farse homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the cheer/chia homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the ghillie/gilly homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for adding daw to the door/dor homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the docks/dox homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the knout/nowt homophones.
* Thanks to Robert W. for the ashore/assure homophones.
* Thanks to Robert W. for the intension/intention homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the balmy/barmy homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for adding barm to the balm/bomb homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the yeld/yelled homophones.
* Thanks to Ann A. for the yippee/yippie homophones.

Make sure you check out our complete homophones list.