Word sound the same but are spelled differently

This is the second blog post in a three-part series on the relationships between the pronunciation of English words and their spellings. Follow the links for part one of the series on Silent Letters and part three on the Sound System of American English.

As mentioned in the previous blog post, it often happens that the spelling of an English word doesn’t match up well with its pronunciation. There’s another category of word that can also cause confusion; these are words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings. These words are called “homophones”. If you memorize the most common homophones in English, then you will avoid a lot of potential confusion in your communications. An added bonus of memorizing common homophones is that you will be able to easily understand many jokes, puns, and plays on words that you encounter (or even spice up your conversations by creating such plays on words yourself!)

Without further ado, here is a chart of some of the most common sets of homophones in English. Remember, all of the words in the left column are pronounced the same way. That is, if you say “ate, eight” out loud, then it should sound exactly the same as if you said “ate, ate” or “eight, eight”.

Spelling:	Pronounced:
ad, add	ad
Adam, atom	AD-um
air, err, heir	air
aisle, isle, I’ll	AI-ull
aloud, allowed	uh-LOUD
altar, alter	ALL-ter
ant, aunt	ant
assent, ascent	uh-SENT
ate, eight	ate
bail, bale	bale
ball, bawl	bawl
band, banned	band
bazaar, bizarre	buh-ZAR
bare, bear	bare (rhymes with “air”)
base, bass (instrument)	base (rhymes with “ace”)
be, bee	bee
beat, beet	beet
berry, bury	berry
bin, been	bin
billed, build	bild
bite, byte	byte
blew, blue	bloo
board, bored	bord
brake, break	brake
buy, by, bye	by
carrot, karat	KARE-ut
cell, sell	sell
cent, sent, scent	sent
cereal, serial	serial
chili, chilly, Chile	chill-ee
chews, choose	chooz
cite, site, sight	site
close, clothes	kloz
core, corps	kor
course, coarse	korss
creek, creak	creek
cue, queue	kyoo
days, daze	daze
deer, dear	deer
die, dye	dye
do, due, dew	doo
fair, fare	fare
faze, phase	faze
finish, Finnish	finish
find, fined	find
feudal, futile	FYU-dul
flea, flee	flee
feat, feet	feet
flower, flour	FLOW-er (“flow” rhymes with “cow”)
for, four	for
fowl, foul	FOW-ul
great, grate	grate
groan, grown	grone
Greece, grease	grees
guest, guessed	gest (rhymes with “best”)
gym, Jim	jim
hair, hare	hair
hall, haul	hawl
heal, heel	heel
hear, here	heer
heed, he’d	heed
herd, heard	herd
him, hymn	him
hire, higher	hi-er
hole, whole	hol
horse, hoarse	horse
hostel, hostile	HAHST-ul
hurts, hertz	herts
I, eye	AI
in, inn	in
intense, intents	intense
jewels, joules	joolz
lessen, lesson	less-in
maid, made	made
mail, male	male
manner, manor	manner
meat, meet	meet
metal, medal, meddle	MED-ul
need, knead	need
new, knew	noo
no, know	no
nose, knows	noz
not, knot	not
nun, none	nun
oh, owe	oh
one, won	wun
or, oar	or
our, hour	ow-er
pail, pale	pale
pair, pare, pear	pare
past, passed	past
peace, piece	peese
peer, pier	peer
plane, plain	plane
poll, pole	poll
pour, pore	pore
prince, prints	prins
principal, principle	PRINCE-i-pul
profit, prophet	PRAH-fit
rain, rein, reign	rane
rap, wrap	rap
red, read	red
right, write, rite, wright	rite
ring, wring	ring
road, rode, rowed	rode
roll, role	roll
root, route	root
sail, sale	sale
sea, see	see
seam, seem	seem
seas, sees, seize	seez
seen, scene	seen
seller, cellar	seller
side, sighed	side
so, sow, sew	so
sole, soul, Seoul	sole
some, sum	sum
son, sun	sun
stair, stare	stare
steal, steel	steel
sweet, suite	sweet
sword, soared	sord
tail, tale	tale
taught, taut	tawt
tear (meaning: drop of water), tier	teer
tear (meaning: rip), tare	tair
tense, tents	tense
there, their, they’re	thair
threw, through	threw
thrown, throne	throne
tie, Thai	tye
to, too, two	too
tow, toe	toe
vain, vein	vain
way, weigh	way
wait, weight	wait
weather, whether	wether
week, weak	week
where, wear, ware	ware
which, witch	witch
whose, who’s	hooz
will, we’ll	will
wood, would	wood
wore, war	wore
worn, warn	worn
your, you’re	yer

Do you have further questions about American English, or are you interested in accent training? Reach out and contact me!

The English language doesn’t make it easy to have flawless writing. In fact, it can be downright complicated especially with the number of words that sound the same, but have a different spelling and a different meaning.  If writing in English is  your job or some aspect of your job, it is so important to have all t’s crossed and i’s dotted. This is the hallmark of a good transcriber and a good writer.  Because of words that are pronounced the same but have a different spelling, a writer can create confusion for the reader and reflect poorly on the writer’s skills if  those pesky words are not caught during proofreading.

Words that sound the same, but are spelled differently are  homonyms, a great sounding word for a quirky little part of the English language meant  to slip up the average spellcheck on your computer. You must be hyper-vigilent for the possibilities of these little words slipping in and ruining what may have been a perfectly good document or transcription.

I’ve listed a few words here (or is it hear?) that are common culprits. Let’s have a go at this –words with the  same sound,  different spelling:

Pear           Pare              Pair

Be               Bee

Lye              Lie

Fair             Fare

Bass            Base

Bow             Bough

Lead             Led

Too               To                 Two

Their            There           They’re

Mail              Male

Plane            Plain

Genes           Jeans

Deer              Dear

Hear              Here

Right            Write

Dye                Die

Week            Weak

Prey              Pray

Bridal           Bridle

Site                Cite                Sight

Principle      Principal

Buy                Bye

Yes, these are just a few of the  little words that can trip up any  simple spellcheck. I’m sure you can add more. Happily, there are some grammar and spellcheck programs that can ferret out homonyms. Still, good transcribers and writers should be on the lookout for  the homonym when proofreading. As with any other grammatical or spelling error, there is always the chance that a homonym may sneak through. Flawless is what we aim for in our writing, certainly in any transcription business, and one homonym can ruin that.

So, the lesson in this writing is transcribers and writers must remain alert for the spoilers, the homonyms, the unique words that sound the same, but have a different spelling and a different meaning. They can be the weak (or is it week?) spot in your writing.

Write On!

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• 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:
A BIG List of Prefixes and Suffixes and Their Meanings
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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:
12 (All) English Tenses with Examples
Phone Conversation: Most Commonly Used English Phrases on the Phone
Common Spelling Mistakes in words like surprise and tomorrow

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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.

In William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet asserts, “that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” She means that as their families are rivals, if either of them –she or Romeo– altered their names, they would nevertheless be lovers in love. A name change wouldn’t alter who they were. But swapping one word for another at times does alter the meaning, particularly in English. This often occurs when two (or more) words that sound the same are spelled differently. These words are called homophones. Contrary to Juliet’s assertion, your writing will be flawed if you use the incorrect word or name.

Can you Recognize the Homophones?

Read the sentences below and select the suitable homophone. Then, verify your answers and get the definitions of the homophones.

1.	The guitar strings are too ____________.	LOSE	LOOSE
2.	My bike is over ____________.	THEY’RE	THERE	THEIR
3.	__________ shirt is missing.	YOUR	YOU’RE
4.	__________ shine was gone.	ITS	IT’S
5.	That’s _________ of butter!	A LOT	ALOT
6.	This room is more spacious ________ the one we just vacated.	THAN	THEN
7.	You can join ________.	TO	TOO	TWO
8.	I’m not going to steal because I have ___________.	PRINCIPLES	PRINCIPALS
9.	We saw 10 sharks. It was quite a _________.	SIGHT	SITE
10.	Speak now or forever hold your _________.	PIECE	PEACE

Answers and Definitions

• LOOSE = not tight enough. LOSE = misplace something.
  • Don’t lose your car keys.
  • My pants are too loose.
• THERE = indicating a place at a distance. THEY’RE is a contraction of “they are.” THEIR is 3^rd person plural possessive (they own something).
  • Their hats are golden.
  • They’re going to Poland.
• YOUR = 2^nd person possessive (you own something). YOU’RE is a contraction of “you are.”
  • You’re looking spectacular.
  • Your mother has arrived.
• ITS = 3^rd person possessive (it owns something). IT’S is a contraction of “it is.”
  • It’s getting cold.
  • Dog is licking its tail.
• A LOT = a large amount of something. ALOT – not a homophone or even a word!
  • There’s a lot of candy for everyone.
• THEN = indicates the order of events. THAN compares things.
  • I’d rather go for a run than watch this film.
  • Yesterday I polished my shoes, and then I went out to play football.
• TOO = also. TWO is a number. TO either indicates direction or is part of the infinitive version of a verb.
  • The two of you must go hiking.
  • You must go to the opera.
  • I love chocolates too
• PRINCIPLES = morals/beliefs that direct one’s activities. PRINCIPALS are the chiefs of schools in the US/India
  • I’m scheduled to meet the principalat 9 am.
  • I don’t know how people live without principles.
• SIGHT = something worth seeing/viewing. SITE = place or short for “website.”
  • We are looking for the site of our new house.
  • There are plenty of beautiful sights in Africa.
  • The site no longer exists. (site = website)
• PEACE vs. PIECE is a tricky one. “To hold your PEACE” means “to keep things peaceful by not speaking.” Intriguingly, “to speak your PIECE” means “to say what you really want to.” Likewise, “give him a piece of your mind” means “to tell someone what you really believe.”

How did you do? Eight or more means you’re a homophone wizard. 5-7 is average. Anything under 5 means you might want to study this list—it will make your writing much better! If you’d like to learn more homophones, there are tons of online resources ― Simply Google, “English homophones.” Good luck!

Besides, if you are looking for an AI-driven writing tool to enhance your writing, then check out Trinka, the world’s first language enhancement tool that is custom-built for academic and technical writing. It has several exclusive features to make your manuscript ready for the global audience. www.trinka.ai

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This word set can be confusing, even for word geeks. Let’s start with the basics. A homograph is a word that has the same spelling as another word but has a different sound and a different meaning:

lead (to go in front of)/lead (a metal)

wind (to follow a course that is not straight)/wind (a gust of air)

bass (low, deep sound)/bass (a type of fish)

A homophone is a word that has the same sound as another word but has a different meaning. Homophones may or may not have the same spelling. Here are some examples:

to/two/too

there/their/they’re

pray/prey

Not so bad, right? The ending –graph means drawn or written, so a homograph has the same spelling. The –phone ending means sound or voice, so a homophone has the same pronunciation. But here’s where it gets tricky. Depending on whom you talk to, homonym means either:

A word that is spelled like another but has a different sound and meaning (homograph); a word that sounds like another but has a different spelling and meaning (homophone)

OR

A word that is spelled and pronounced like another but has a different meaning (homograph and homophone)

So does a homonym have to be both a homograph and a homophone, or can it be just one or the other? As with most things in life, it depends on whom you ask.

In the strictest sense, a homonym must be both a homograph and a homophone. So say many dictionaries. However, other dictionaries allow that a homonym can be a homograph or a homophone.

With so many notable resources pointing to the contrary, are we losing this strict meaning? What then will we call a word that is spelled and pronounced the same as another but has a different meaning? If homonym retains all these meanings, how will readers know what is actually meant?

The careful writer would do well to follow the strict sense, ensuring his meaning is understood immediately.

When you look at the number of homophones, it’s not difficult to see why so many students get caught out.
But what exactly is a homophone, I hear you ask? You’re about to find out as we take you through the meaning of homophony and the word-based conundrums they cause. Don’t worry though; we’ll introduce you to some of the most common ones so that you know to watch out for them!

What is a homophone?

The word “homophone” is used to describe a word that sounds the same as another word, but that has a different meaning. It comes from the Greek words “homo”, meaning “same”, and “phone”, meaning “voice”. The two (or more) words may be spelled differently, but just to make life difficult, they can also be spelled the same. The potential for confusion for native and non-native speakers alike is, unfortunately, great.
Just to confuse you a little more (last time, promise), there are several words that we use to refer to different types of homophone.
Homophone – all words and phrases that sound the same but have different meanings
Homograph – words that sound and are spelled the same but have different meanings
Homonym – words that have the same spelling but a different meaning
Heterograph – words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings
Multinym – words that sound the same but have more than two different meanings and spellings

On the subject of multinyms, it may surprise you to learn that in English, there is one instance of a multinym with no fewer than seven variations, all sounding the same but meaning different things. There’s also one instance of six variants, two of five, 24 of four and 88 of three. Some of the variants are archaic words that aren’t used anymore, so you needn’t concern yourself with them.

Common examples of homophones

Below, we introduce you to some of the most common homophones – those that you’re likely to meet with in either day-to-day conversation or in your academic work. There are too many to include all of them, but these examples should at least help you with some of them and stand as a warning that the English language has plenty of pitfalls for you to be aware of!

To, two, too

Lots of native English-speakers get confused about this one. Luckily, though, these three words have very different uses, and the examples below should help you remember them.
To – used in the infinitive form of a verb, such as “to walk”, and also to mean “towards”.
Too – this means “as well” or “also”; for example, “me too”.
Two – this is the number; for example, “two days ago”.

There, their, they’re

Again, even native English-speakers get this one wrong, so don’t beat yourself up if you’re struggling with it!
There – this refers to a place that is not here; for instance, “over there”. It can also be used to state something, such as “There is an argument to suggest…”, or (in a slightly old-fashioned way) to comfort someone: “There there, it will be alright.”
Their – this indicates possession: something belonging to them. For example, “we could use their boat”.
They’re – this is a shortening of “they are”. For example, “They’re going to be here at 12pm”.

Your/you’re

This has to be one of the most commonly confused aspects of the English language, and the fact that so many people get it wrong is a pet hate of every grammar purist in the UK. If you can master the difference, you’ll be doing better than a lot of Brits!
Your – this is the second person possessive form, indicating something belonging to you. For example, “This is your decision.”
You’re – short for “you are”, as in “You’re amazing.”
Bonus: Yore – you’re not very likely to come across this one, but it’s an old-fashioned way of referring to a time long ago. For example, “In the days of yore” means a similar thing to “In olden times”.

By/buy/bye

Another one on the long list of commonly confused words, these three are easily differentiated with some examples.
By – this preposition refers to something beside, near or through. For example, “There’s an ice cream van over there by that tree.”
Buy – this is a verb meaning to purchase something. For instance, “let’s go and buy a car.”
Bye – short for “goodbye”, this is an expression used to bid someone farewell. Real grammar sticklers would probably insist on using an apostrophe at the beginning to indicate the absence of the word “good” – that is, “’bye” – but this is old-fashioned, so you don’t need to include one.

Stationary/stationery

One letter makes a big difference with these two, completely altering the meaning.
Stationary – this word is used to describe something that is motionless (not moving). For example, “the cars were stationary in the traffic jam.”
Stationery – pens, pencils and other things you write with or on, for use in the office or when studying.

Compliment/complement

The adjective forms of these two words add an extra layer of complexity for you to contend with.
Compliment – this is a nice thing you say to someone to flatter them, for example, “You look nice today.” The adjective of this is “complimentary”, which has two meanings. It can refer to something expressing praise – such as “He was most complimentary, saying how pretty I looked.” But just to add to the confusion, “complimentary” can also mean “free of charge”. For example, “the airline provided complimentary drinks for those delayed”.
Complement – this is something that goes well with something else. For example, “the dress complemented the colour of her hair.” The adjective form is “complementary”, meaning things that go together, used as follows: “The two of them provided complementary skills; he was good at writing, while she was good at sales.”

Brake/break

Same letters, different order – and that makes all the difference!
Brake – this spelling refers to the brakes on a car or other vehicle, and in a wider sense to slowing down. For example, “He applied the brakes to slow the car down.”
Break – confusingly, this spelling this has several meanings.
As a verb, “to break” means to separate something into parts. For example, “I’m going to break this chocolate bar into three so we can share.”
○ As a noun, it can be used to signify a pause or stop, such as “a break in the schedule”, or you can “take a break”, meaning have some time off.
○ You can also use the word to describe the consequences of the verb – when you “break” something, it is “broken” and the site of the separation can be referred to as “the break”. For instance, “He broke his leg, but the break is mending.”

Coarse/course

If you’ve been browsing our website, you’ll probably know at least one of these meanings! Here are all the possible definitions.
Course – this has many meanings.
○ A course is what we offer here at Oxford Royale Summer Schools – a programme of educational study.
○ “Of course” means “naturally”. For example, “Would you like a chocolate?” – “Of course!”
○ It can also mean “direction”; for instance, an “unexpected course of events” describes events unfolding in an unanticipated direction. You could also say, “I don’t know what course of action to take”, or “The plane took a northerly course.”
○ In sport, it describes an area of land or water set aside for the purpose of a particular activity, such as a “golf course”, “water skiing course” or “cross country course”.
○ Another context in which you might hear this word is to describe parts of a meal. For instance, the “main course” is the most substantial part of the meal.
○ Less often heard is the use of this word to describe hunting with dogs, such as “hare coursing”.
○ As a verb, “to course” refers to the movement of liquid, such as “water coursing through a channel”.
Coarse – this word is used to describe things that are rough or crude. This could be rough in texture – as in “sandpaper is very coarse” – or to describe language, such as “His humour was very coarse.”

Here/hear

You’ll find a cunning way to remember the difference between these two under the definition for “hear” below.
Here – this refers to something being in one’s current location – for example, “There is a strange smell here”. You can also use it when introducing something, such as “Here is something I know you’ll like.”
Hear – this means to detect a sound. If it helps you remember it, consider the fact that the word “hear” contains the word “ear”! You can also say “Hear, hear” to indicate that you agree with someone. This bizarre phrase is a shortened form of a 17th century phrase used in Parliament, “Hear him, hear

Peace/piece

John Lennon famously sang “Give peace a chance”. Make sure you don’t upset Beatles fans by getting the spelling right!
Peace – this is the absence of war, as referred to by Lennon in 1969. The word also refers more generally to a feeling of contentment, for example “The woods were very peaceful.”
Piece – spelled this way, the word means a unit or portion of something, such as “a piece of cake”. To “say your piece” means to state your opinion about something, while “giving someone a piece of your mind” means to tell them – usually in anger – exactly what you think of a situation.

Whole/hole

Two words with almost entirely opposite meanings. The W is silent, because the English language likes to confuse us with apparently unnecessary silent letters.
Whole – this means “complete” or “entire” – used as in “the whole story”.
Hole – a “hole” indicates a lack of something, as in an opening. For example, the hole in a ring doughnut is the missing bit in the middle, while a “Black Hole” is an invisible area of space that appears to have nothing in it, because its gravity prevents even light from escaping.

Stare/stair

These identical-sounding words both derive from Old English words with Germanic origins.
Stare – the verb “to stare” refers to the act of gazing intently at something. As a noun, it refers to the look itself – for example “a long, cold stare”.
Stair – this refers to a single step, or one of a number of steps, used to connect two different levels, with variants including “staircase” (the complete set of steps), “stairway” (the steps and their surrounding walls), “stairwell” (the shaft occupied by the staircase), “downstairs” (the bottom level) and “upstairs” (the upper level).

Know/no

As this example illustrates, it’s amazing how much difference it makes to put unlikely letters at the beginning and end of a word.
Know – “to know” means “to be aware of something”; for example, “I know he is afraid.” The K at the beginning is one of a number of instances in the English language of a silent K, so it’s pronounced in exactly the same way as “no” – even though if you take the K off, you have the word “now”, which is pronounced in a way that rhymes it with “how”. Just another example of unexpected exceptions to English language rules!
No – the opposite of “yes”, used to indicate the negative. Bizarrely, “no.” – with a full stop after it – is also used to abbreviate the word “number”. For example, “No. of pages: 150.”

Seven meanings sounding like “raise”

To finish, this is the seven-variant multinym we mentioned earlier. Don’t worry – you’re not likely to come across many of these, but we thought you might like to see it to give you an idea of just how complex the English language can be!
Raise – to lift something up
Rays – sunbeams
Rase – to erase something
Raze – to knock something down
Rehs – sodium salt mixtures
Réis – plural of real (the currency of Portugal until 1911)
Res – plural of re, as in the musical scale (doh re mi, for fans of The Sound of Music)

If you’ve enjoyed this introduction to some of the quirks of the English language and you’d like to advance your English skills further by learning some more, why not apply to study at our English as a Foreign Language Summer School?

Rebel (noun) vs. rebel (verb) is also a nice example of English’s initial-stress-derived noun — the phenomenon by which verbs are turned into nouns by moving the stress to the first syllable. See: record, protest, digest, etc.

Tangent: I’ve noticed a similar phenomenon in regards to band names with adjectives in them. Do you notice a difference in how you pronounce these two sentences?

1. In C Major, you don’t play the black keys.

2. My favorite band is The Black Keys.

Chances are, if you said, «I love the black keys,» I would be able to tell if you were talking about a band or a movie or something, even if I’d never heard of The Black Keys, because of the equal stress you give to black and keys. There’s probably a name for that, but I don’t know what it is.