Word sounding the same but different spelling

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:
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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.

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.

My students often ask me the difference in pronunciation of words like son & sun, meet & meat, write & right, and which & which. And do you know what? Each of those pairs is pronounced exactly the same, even though they’re spelled differently. It’s important to not let your eyes fool you. English spelling can sometimes be unusual. While there are many rules to help you pronounce words based on their spelling, there are also exceptions to the rules. And those exceptions tend to occur in our most common words. Train your ears to tell you the pronunciation of words, not your eyes.

Prefer to see this as a video, rather than read it? Just click here: Homophones video.

Words that sound the same, but have different meanings and different spellings are called homophones. The prefix “homo” means same, and the root word “phone” means sound, so if you put them together in the word “homophone”, it means “same sound”. There are so many homophones in English, so I’ll give you a list of the ones I think you’re most likely to use. I’ve categorized them based on their vowel sounds. That way, if you’ve not yet mastered a particular vowel sound, you can watch one of my videos on how to pronounce that vowel. Click on the link to go to my American English Vowels playlist on Youtube: Vowels Videos.

Long Vowels:

Long A homophones: vowel pronounced like the alphabet letter A

• ate/eight
• brake/break
• male/mail
• sale/sail
• wait/weight
• way/weigh

Long E homophones: vowel pronounced like the alphabet letter E

• beet/beat
• genes/jeans
• meet/meat
• peace/piece
• see/sea
• sweet/suite
• week/weak

Long I homophones: vowel pronounced like the alphabet letter I

• buy/by/bye
• I/eye
• sight/site
• write/right

Long O homophones: vowel pronounced like the alphabet letter O

• close/clothes
• hole/whole
• no/know
• nose/knows
• so/sew
• toe/tow

Long OO homophones: vowel pronounced like the OO in “food”

• do/due/dew
• to/too/2
• chews/choose

Short Vowels:

Short A homophones: vowel pronounced like the A in “cat”

• ant/aunt

Short E homophones: vowel pronounced like the E in “bed”

• read*/red (*the past tense of read)
• weather/whether

Short I homophones: vowel pronounced like the I in “sit”
• which/witch

Short U homophones: vowel pronounced like the U in “fun”
• son/sun
• one/won

Short OO homophones: vowel pronounced like the OO in “book”
• would/wood

R Controlled Vowels:

“Ear” sound homophones: vowel sounds like “ear”

• deer/dear
• here/hear
• tear*/tier

*tear like in the tears you cry. There is another word with that same spelling with a different pronunciation: tear, which means to rip. This word rhymes with “hair”.)

“Air” sound homophones: vowel sounds like “air”

• fairy/ferry
• Mary/marry/merry
• there/their/they’re
• vary/very
• where/wear

“Or” sound homophones: vowel sounds like “or”

• for/4

“Hour” sound homophones: vowel sounds like “hour”

• hour/our

There are lots of English words that sound the same, but have different meanings and different spellings. Those were some of the more commonly used ones. Are there any homophones you use that are not listed here? Let me know in the comments. If there were any vowel sounds you were unfamiliar with in this article, take a look at my video on how to pronounce those sounds. Just scroll through the list of videos in this playlist until you find the ones you need: Vowels Videos.

There are many aspects of the English language that might be described as tricky, or even vexatious. Among these are the large number of words that are spelled differently but which sound the same. Or all the words which are spelled the same but don’t sound the same at all. Or the fact that there is a single word which describes these two very different types of words. Welcome to homophones, homographs, and homonyms.

Homophones vs. Homographs vs. Homonyms

Here is the simplest explanation we can give for each of these words:

Homophones are words that sound the same but are different.

Homographs are words that are spelled the same but are different.

Homonyms can be homophones, homographs, or both.

Here is a slightly less simple explanation for each of these words:

Homophones are words pronounced alike but different in meaning or derivation or spelling. These words may be spelled differently from each other (such as to, too, and two), or they may be spelled the same way (as in quail meaning ‘to cower’ and quail meaning a type of bird).

Homographs are words that are spelled alike but are different in meaning or derivation or pronunciation. Sometimes these words sound different (as in the bow of a ship, and the bow that shoots arrows), and sometimes these words sound the same (as in quail meaning ‘to cower’ and quail meaning a type of bird).

Homonym may be used to refer to either homophones or to homographs. Some people feel that the use of homonym should be restricted to words that are spelled alike but are different in pronunciation and meaning, such as the bow of a ship and the bow that shoots arrows.

Tricks for Keeping them Apart

If you would like to distinguish between these words but have trouble remembering their differences, etymology can be of assistance. All of these words are formed with the combining form homo-, meaning “one and the same; similar; alike,” and each has an additional root that sheds light on the word’s meaning. Homophone comes from the Greek -phōnos (meaning “sounding”); homograph is from the Greek graphein (“to write”); homonym is from the Greek onyma (meaning “name”).

Last Update: Jan 03, 2023

This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested!

Asked by: Solon Gibson

Score: 4.6/5
(24 votes)

Words that having similar sounds are called homonyms. Within the category of homonyms are two commonly confused concepts: homographs and homophones.

What are the sounding words?

Examples of these sound words include:

What are some badass words?

badass

What are 2 words that sound the same?

What Is a Homophone? As mentioned above, sets of words like “you’re” and “your” are called homophones. The root of that word, homo-, means “same,” and the root phone- means “sound.” Homophones are two words that sound the same, but have different meanings.

Can you give me a list of Homographs?

Homograph Examples

44 related questions found

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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TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to the InFluency Podcast. I’m Hadar, and this is episode number 20.

Hello-hello. Welcome back. Today is part two of the lesson about ‘spelling versus pronunciation’ and why do they constantly clash.

Last time, that was episode number 18, we talked about words that are pronounced the same but spelled differently, like ‘flower’ and ‘flour’, and ‘see’ and ‘sea’, and ‘sun’ and ‘son’.

I hope you, cause you can’t see the word written, I hope you visualize the different spelling patterns: ‘sun’ and ‘son’, like “The sun in the sky”, and “My son. I don’t have a son, I only have daughters”. But, I hope that helped you understand what word I meant. Anyway, this was episode number 18 on the podcast.

Today we are talking about words that are spelled the same, but get this – they’re pronounced differently. Yeah. Spelled the same but pronounced differently. So technically, these words, if you just see them written, you can’t know for certain how to pronounce them because it requires context.

So you’ll know if this word is a ‘read’ or ‘read’, right? Cause there are pronounced the same. Or if this word is ‘Object’ or ‘objEct’. “I objEct the fact that spelling and pronunciation do not correspond in English. It makes everything a lot harder.”

But if English was a phonetic language, or should I say were a phonetic language, I still didn’t get that quite right. I think I can use both, but technically, I’m supposed to say ‘were’ because it’s not something realistic. However, a lot of people use ‘was’.

You’re probably saying to yourself, “What is she talking about? How is this related?” But for those of you who got me, I know you know what I mean? So technically, there is no ‘was’ after ‘if’, if it’s hypothetical – “if English were a phonetic language”, “if I were a rich man”. I will make a different episode about this, okay. I will record a different episode about ‘was’ and ‘were’ after ‘if’.

For now, let’s move on to what I wanted to say in the first place. That if English was/were a phonetic language, then I’d have no job. So maybe it’s good because that’s how we can connect. If everything was easy, then I wouldn’t have anything interesting to say about that.

So I’m glad it’s not easy. Not helpful for you, but it’s helpful for our relationship, I think. You’re probably saying to yourself, “Okay Hadar, can I just listen to the lesson, please?” And the answer is ‘yes’. Yes, you can. Yes, you can.

Let’s listen to the audio version of my video lesson about words that are spelled the same, but pronounced differently.

And by the way, they’re called heteronyms or homographs, just so you know. Let’s listen.

Hey, it’s Hadar. Thank you for joining me. Today is the second part of the video series about spelling versus pronunciation, trying to tackle common confusions. In the previous lesson we talked about homophones – words that are pronounced the same but spelled differently. So we went through bunch of pairs, and if you want to watch that video, if you haven’t watched it, I’m going to link to it in the show notes.

In today’s lesson, we are going to talk about heteronyms – words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently. The first one is this – ‘tear’ ‘tear’ as in “Don’t shed any tears” – right, – “when you cry”. “Tears are running down your cheeks”. ‘Tear’. Here it’s pronounced with a T sound, than a high E – ‘tee’, and then an R sound – ‘teer’. Make sure that ‘ee’ is long – ‘teer’.

But this could also mean to tear. ‘Tear’, to ruin, like “to tear something down” or “to tear up the page”. ‘tehr’. And then it’s pronounced with an ‘a’ sound. “Tear” – it’s a T sound, and ‘a’, so drop your jaw and bring the tongue up for the R only at the end. “Tear”.

The next one is “read”: an R sound, an a high E – ‘ree-‘, and then a D – ‘reed’. “I need to read this book” – ‘reed’. Or “I read this book”, the past form – ‘red’. Then it’s just an ‘e’ sound – ‘red’.

I know it’s confusing and you’re probably asking yourself, “Why is that? Why can’t they spell it differently? Let’s say, just with an ‘ea’, right, like the color “red”. Well, probably once upon a time the ‘EA’ spelling pattern used to always have the same pronunciation, the same sound.

But with time English evolved and sounds have changed and morphed, and this is why we have such a distinction or such a differentiation between the spelling and the pronunciation. Okay.

So probably, it’s because it has changed. The ‘ea’, for example, as in “read” and “read”, can also be ‘ei’ as in break, right. This is why English can be confusing. Hashtag English is confusing.

Because the same spelling pattern can be several different vowels. The most important thing is that you remember it ‘as is’, and try to detach yourself from the spelling. Try to really identify the sound of the word with the context.

Because when you hear people talking about the past, “I read this book”, it’s obvious, right? It’s not confusing whatsoever. The ‘e’ sound is an easy sound to detect, and also the ‘ee’. “I need to read this book”, right?

So try to associate the sound with the actual word and the meaning, and the tense, rather than try to identify it according to the spelling. And if you’re reading something, then see how it relates to the rest of the sentence. This is how you know. It’s easier than you think.

Then we have [Live]. This could be ‘laiv’ as in “It’s a live show”. Then it’s the ‘ai’ as in “my” – ‘laiv’. Or ‘liv’, as in “Where do you live?” ‘liv’, then it’s a relaxed ‘i’ sound – ‘liv’.

The next one is this [Polish]. This could be ‘pow-lish’, as in someone from Poland. Then we want to make sure that the O always pronounced with a long ‘ow’ sound – ‘pow-lish’. The trick is to add the W – ‘pow’, ‘pow-lish’. Or ‘paa-lish’, “I need to polish the glasses before I pour wine into them”. ‘paa-lish’. You could tell I was a bartender once, right?

This one is rather confusing [Resume]. So, it’s either “to ‘ruh-zuwm’ the classes”, right. “I stopped taking English classes, but I need to resume my studies, or resume classes – to start again”. ‘ruh-zuwm’. It’s an R sound, then a Z, and then the U as in “food” – ‘ruh-zuwm’, close it with an M.

Or it’s ‘re-zuh-mei’ ‘re-zuh-mei’, so different! ‘re-zuh-mei’. “I need to submit my resume, if I want to get a job there”. ‘re-zuh-mei’. Or “I need to work on my resume”.

‘re-zuh-mei’. ‘re’ as in “red”, so round your lips for the R, ‘zuh’ – it’s a Z sound and a schwa – ‘re-zuh’. And it’s confusing cause it’s spelled with an S, I know, but it’s pronounced as a Z. ‘re-zuh-mei’, ‘mei’, ‘ei’ as in “day”, ‘mei’. ‘re-zuh-mei’, ‘re-zuh-mei’.

The next one is this [Use]. This has two meanings. One, “to use” – then it’s spelled with a Z sound – ‘uwz’. Or it’s the noun – ‘uws’. “What’s the use?” ‘uwz’ versus ‘uws’.

Now, this S that is once pronounced with an S, once pronounced with a Z, can also be found in the pair “close” versus “close”. Spelled the same, pronounced differently. “Close the door”, with a Z ‘klowz’.

Or “Come sit close to me”. “We’re sitting close to each other”. ‘klows’, long O, as in “go”, and then an S. The only difference here is the S versus Z: ‘klows’ – ‘klowz’, ‘uws’ – ‘uwz’.

The next set of words are verbs versus nouns that are spelled the same. For example, this word [Present]. ‘preh-z’nt’ versus ‘pruh-zent’. So here you have a trick. When you see the same word and you know that it can be used as a verb, to do something or as a noun, the secret is in the stress.

‘PREH-z’nt’. If the stress is on the first syllable, it’s a noun. “I want to give you a PREsent. ‘preh-z’nt’. If it’s a verb, the stress is going to be on the second syllable – ‘pruh-ZENT’.

And that is always the case with words that have two syllables and they are spelled the same, and you know that they have two different meanings: one is a verb, one is a noun. ‘pruh-ZENT’. “I need to preSENT my idea”. ‘pruh-zent – ‘preh-z’nt’.

Now, the stress shift also changes the vowels, the pronunciation of the other vowels. Because once you put the stress on one syllable, the other syllable receives a schwa – the vowel is reduced. ‘preh-z’nt’ , ‘z’nt’, then there is no vowel here. It’s ‘uh’ – ‘z’nt’.

But then if I shift the stress to the second syllable, the second syllable gets the vowel ‘zent’, the first syllable – ‘pruh’. ‘pruh-zent’. So it’s not ‘pre-zent’ and ‘pre-zent’. Then it’s not clear what is stressed and what is not stressed, right? ‘PREH-z’nt’ – ‘pruh-ZENT’.

Record [‘reh-k’rd’]. “Let’s play that record”, ‘reh-k’rd’. Or ‘ruh-kord’ – “I need to record an album”. ‘reh-k’rd’: here the ‘reh’ is the primary stress, as in “red”, ‘k’rd. Or “It’s a world record”, right? Same pronunciation, ‘reh-k’rd’.

Or “I need to record it”. ‘ruh’, then it’s a schwa, ‘kord’. All of a sudden, it’s an O sound as in “for”. ‘ruh-kord’, right. In ‘reh-k’rd’ it was a schwa, you couldn’t hear an O sound. But here, ‘ruh-kord’. See how it works? Let’s look at a few more.

Desert [‘de-z’rt’] – “Let’s go to the desert”. “The desert is so beautiful in the winter”. ‘de-z’rt’, stress is on the first syllable. And ‘duh-z’rt’. The first one is ‘DEsert’ as, “Let’s go to the desert”, ‘de-z’rt’. The second one is ‘deSERT’, “Don’t desert that project again”, ‘duh-z’rt’ – to stop doing something, to leave it abruptly. ‘duh-z’rt’.

“Desert” is also a homophone of “Dessert”, spelled differently. Notice: dessert, which is what you have at the end of a meal. “Dessert”. Or in the beginning, if you’re my daughters ?. “Dessert”. “Dessert”. Okay.

So again, we have ‘DE-z’rt’ – stress on the first syllable, ‘DE-z’rt’. That’s the place. And then ‘duh-Z’RT’ – stress on the second syllable – is the verb “to desert”, “Don’t desert me”. ‘duh-Z’RT’.

But it’s also what you eat at the end of a meal – “dessert”. So, “desert”, the verb, and “dessert”, the noun – are homophones cause they’re spelled differently but pronounced the same. Confusing? I hope not anymore.

The last one is “produce” versus “produce”. “PROduce” versus “proDUCE”. To produce [‘pruh-duws’] is to make something out of raw materials,  ‘pruh-duws’. Or to make something out of nothing: “I need to produce a sound or produce a video”.

‘pruh-duws’. So, the first syllable is a schwa – ‘pruh’, second syllable is stressed – ‘duws’. That’s the primary stress with a U as in “food” – ‘pruh-duws’.

‘prow-duws’ are things that have grown or produced, especially in a farm, like carrots and apples, and lettuce. ‘prow-duws’. Here we say it with the ‘ow’ sound – that’s the primary stress – ‘prow-duws’, U as in “food”. ‘prow-duws’. ‘pruh-duws’ – ‘prow-duws’.

Okay, that’s it. Now I want to challenge you. Write in the comments below more words that share the same spelling, but have different meanings and different pronunciation. Okay?

So, I can’t wait to hear your comments, and if you haven’t seen it yet, go watch the first part of this video about words that are spelled differently but pronounced the same. I’m sure you’re going to find it very, very interesting.

If you liked this video, please share it with your friends and click “Like”. And if you haven’t yet, please subscribe either to my channel or you can subscribe to my newsletter to get the videos into your inbox every single week. You’ll also get my podcast episodes straight to your inbox.

So, have a beautiful week, and I will see you next week in the next video. Bye.