One crucial aspect of writing that often gets overlooked is using homophones in English. Homophones are words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings.
Using homophones correctly can drastically improve the clarity and effectiveness of your writing. In this article, we will delve into the use of homophones in English, provide examples, and offer tips to help you become a better writer. Carefully read through!
What Are Homophones?
Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. The origin of that word, homo-, means “same,” and the root –phone means “sound.” Homophones are two words that sound the same but have different meanings. So the words “two” and “to” are homophones, as are “right” and “write.”
21+ Homophones Examples In English
Now you know what a homophone is let’s take a look at the best homophones in English with examples:
1. Allowed (verb) or Aloud (adverb)
- Allowed means permitted or given permission to do something.
Example – The teacher allowed the students to use their calculators during the math test. - Aloud means audibly or in a way that can be heard.
Example – She read the book aloud to the class, so everyone could hear the beautiful words.
2. Ate (verb) or Eight(noun)
- Ate is the past form of ‘eat’.
Example – I ate a large-size pork. - Eight is a number that comes after seven and before nine.
Example – Today, I woke up at eight o’clock.
There is a very popular joke, or you can say riddle, you might have heard in your childhood i.e.
Q: Why was 6 afraid of 7?
A: Because 7 ate 9. Actually, ate and 8 are pronounced as same. (oh, come on, it’s not that bad)
READ ALSO: When to Use ‘Have’ or ‘Has’: Solving the Verb Puzzle
3. Air (noun) or Heir (noun)
- Air is the invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, a mixture mainly of oxygen and nitrogen. It is also used to express (an opinion or grievance) publicly.
Example – The film Merlin Show was first aired in 2011. - A person entitled to the property or rank of another after death. It is also called a Successor or inheritor.
Example – In GOT, who is the real heir to the throne?
SEE ALSO: When to Use ‘Me’ or ‘I’: Easy Tips for Correct Usage for Writers
4. Board (noun) or Bored (adjective)
- A board is a flat piece of wood.
Example – Art teacher is drawing a beautiful portrait on the board. - Bored means lacking interest or engagement. If you are bored then it means you are not interested at all.
Example – She got bored during the maths lecture.
5. Buy (verb), By (preposition) or Bye (exclamation)
- Buy means to purchase something in exchange for payment.
Example – I need to buy a birthday present for my beloved sister. - By is used to identify who performed an action.
Example – The world-famous open-source software Linux is created by Linus Torvalds. - Bye defines an informal way of saying ‘goodbye’.
Example – Okay, dear. I need to go now. See you soon. Bye.
6. Him (pronoun) or Hymn (noun)
- Him is usually used as the object of a verb or preposition, to refer to a man, boy, or male animal that has just been mentioned or is just about to be mentioned.
Example – Don’t judge a man until you know him. - The hymn is a religious song or poem to praise a god.
Example – The church congregation stood up to sing a hymn.
You may want to see When To Use Too or To: Simplifying These Tricky Twins
7. Brake (noun, verb) or Break (noun, verb)
- A brake is a device for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle, typically by applying pressure to the wheels, such as a brake in the car and other vehicles.
Example – He applied the brakes to stop the car. - This break has a different meaning. As a noun, it means separate into pieces, and as a verb, an interruption of continuity.
Example – You should take uniform breaks to refresh your mind and reset your attention.
8. Cell (noun) or Sell (verb)
- A cell is a small room in which a prisoner is locked up. A cell is also considered the smallest structural and functional unit of an organism.
Example – Breaking a cell is difficult for almost every prisoner. - Sell means to exchange a product or service for money.
Example – I want to sell my house and buy a dog.
9. Chilli (noun) or Chilly (adjective)
- Chilli is a small spicy pepper or pod of a variety of capsicum used in cooking. It is also called as chilli pepper.
Example – I ordered the Mexican Hot Pizza, but couldn’t eat the chilli on top! - On the other hand, chilly means feeling cold.
Example – It’s a little chilly outside, don’t forget to wear your coat.
10. Hour (noun) or Our (determiner)
- A period of time equal to 60 minutes.
Example – You should positively spend at least an hour daily reading. - Our means belong to us.
Example – Our aim should be clear before we embark on the journey tomorrow.
11. Deer (noun) or Dear (noun, adjective)
- Deer is a hoofed grazing animal, with branched bony antlers that are shed annually and typically borne only by the male.
Example – A Deer runs very fast. - Dear is used for the beloved person.
Example – Hey dear, are you coming home tonight?
READ ALSO: When to Use an Apostrophe: A Beginner’s Guide to Showing Possession and Omitting Letters
12. Dew (noun) or Due (adjective, noun)
- Dew is tiny drops of water that form on the ground and other surfaces outside during the night when atmospheric vapor condenses.
Example – In the early morning, the grass was wet with dew. - In terms of the noun, due means what is owed (especially money) to one. In terms of adjectives, expected to happen, arrive, etc. at a particular time.
Example – When is the first payment due?
13. Eye (noun) or I (pronoun)
- An eye is the part of our body that we use for seeing.
Example – She has beautiful eyes. - I is used as the subject of a verb to refer to the person speaking or writing.
Example – I am pretty sure that you are already aware of this word. (gotcha)
14. Flour (noun) or Flower (noun)
- Flour is a powder obtained by grinding grain, typically wheat, and used to make bread, cakes, and pastry.
Example – Thicken the sauce by adding a little flour. - The flower is the part of a plant that is often brightly colored and has a pleasant smell.
Example – Flower always brings a smile to your face and refreshes your mood.
15. For (preposition) or Four (noun)
- For means, in support of or in favor of (a person or policy).
Example – Today we brought a new book for you with something new to learn. - Four is the number after three and before five.
Example – Four is my lucky number.
16. Grate (verb) or Great (adjective)
- Grate means to rub food against a grater to cut it into a lot of small pieces.
Example – Did you grate the carrots for the salad. - Great means large in amount, size, or degree.
Example – China has the Great Wall of China. (uh-huh)
17. Hear (verb) or Here (adverb)
- Hear means to perceive with the ear, the sound made by someone or something.
Example – I can’t hear your voice, can you please speak aloud? - Here, indicates the place where you are at any moment.
Example – Welcome guys, here you will find the bags and shoes.
SEE ALSO: How to Avoid Burnout as a Freelance Writer (15 Proven Tips)
18. Hole (noun) or Whole (adjective)
- The hole is a gap or hollow place in a solid body or surface.
Example – He had a hole in his pants. - Whole means entire; All of.
Example – I read the whole book in one day.
19. It’s (contraction) or Its (determiner)
- It’s is the short form of it.
Example – It’s not my fault. It’s yours! - Its means belonging to or relating to something that has already been mentioned.
Example – The school increased its profits.
20. Know (verb) or No (determiner)
- Know means to have knowledge or understanding about something.
Example – Read the complete blog to know. - No indicates a negation or something that’s not true.
Example – Now, there’s no chance for the next meeting.
21. Knight (noun) or Night (noun)
- A knight is a man who served his sovereign or lord as a mounted soldier in armor.
Example – The princess was rescued by a tall dark knight. - The night is the period when it’s dark and most people sleep.
Example – Night time is mostly preferred for distant traveling.
22. Leek (noun) or Leak (noun, verb)
- Leek is a long, white vegetable with green leaves on top that tastes and smells like an onion.
Example – Wales is famous for its rainy weather and its giant leeks! - Leak means something is escaping (liquid or gas) from a hole or crack in a pipe or container.
Example – One of the employees was responsible for the leak.
23. Sac (noun) or Sack (noun)
- A sac is a hollow, flexible structure resembling a bag or pouch. A cavity within an organism, enclosed by a membrane and containing air, liquid, or solid structures.
Example – A fountain pen with an ink sac. - The sack is a large bag made of a strong material such as hessian, thick paper, or plastic, used for storing and carrying goods. It is also called a bag.
Example – Ayushi uses a paper sack to store her groceries.
Homophones For Kids
If you’re looking for fun ways to teach homophones to kids, here’s a list of homophone examples for kids!
1. Our and Hour
The distinction between our and hour should be covered while educating your kids about homophones. Even though these two terms sound exactly the same when uttered out loud, their purposes and meanings are completely different.
Our is a possessive pronoun that means belonging to us.
For example, “That is our house.”
On the other hand, an hour is a unit of time equal to sixty minutes.
For example, “I will be there in an hour.”
To help your kids remember the difference between these two words, try making a silly sentence like, “We have an hour to get our house clean!”
2. So and Sew
One of the funniest homophone examples for kids is the pair of “so” and “sew”. This can cause some major confusion when your student first hears the homophones.
So is an adverb or pronoun that means “in the way described” or “to the same degree.” For example: I can’t cook beans, so don’t bother calling me.
Sew, on the other hand, is a verb that means “to join pieces of fabric together using thread.” For example I can sew the pants if you want me to.
To make it easier for kids to remember the difference, you can tell them that when they need to do something with a needle and thread, they need to sew!
3. One and won
One of the most common homophone examples for kids is “one” and “won”. These two words are often confused due to their similar pronunciation, but they have different meanings.
The word “one” refers to a number that comes after zero and before two.
It is usually used to refer to a single item or person. For example, “I have one apple”.
The word “won”, on the other hand, means to have achieved something, usually through competition or effort. For example, “She won the race”.
So, when teaching homophones to kids, it’s important to make sure they understand the difference between “one” and “won”. This way, they can use these words accurately in their writing and conversations.
4. Cell and Sell
Cell and sell can be confusing to kids because they sound exactly alike when spoken, but they have totally different meanings.
Cell is a noun that refers to a small, enclosed space or a tiny room, like a prison cell or a cell in a honeycomb. While sell is a verb that means to exchange goods or services for money.
For example, you might say, “I’m going to sell my old bicycle.” Kids need to learn the difference between these two words so they can use them properly in their writing.
Here are a few examples of sentences using cell and sell:
The prisoner was placed in a tiny prison cell.
The farmer sold his apples at the farmers’ market.
READ ALSO: When to Use Is and Are: Solving the Singular vs. Plural Puzzle
5. Too, to or two
A trio of homophones for kids is too, to, and two. Too means “as well” or “in addition” while two refers to the number 2. “To” on the other hand, is a preposition.
Here’s an example: I have too many toys in my room so I asked my mom if I could give two away to charity.
It is time to have lunch. We’ve seen that sometimes we have to use our ears (hear) or eyes (here) to understand what word we should use when talking about location or sound. But when it comes to understanding the difference between too and two, all we need is our fingers!
What Is The Difference Between Homophones and Homonyms?
A homonym is a word or group of words that have the same spelling and the same pronunciation but different meanings. This usually happens as a result of the two words having different origins. The state of being a homonym is called homonymy.
A homophone on the other hand is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning. The words may be spelled the same, such as rose (flower) and rose (past tense of “rise”), or differently, such as sit and seat, or to, two, and too.
All homonyms are homophones because they sound the same. However, not all homophones are homonyms. Homophones with different spellings are not homonyms.
A good example of a homonym is the word “bear.” You probably know about the animal called a “bear,” but the word “bear” can also be a verb that means to tolerate. For example, “I’m so nervous about watching this game, I can’t bear to watch the last minute!”
FAQs On Homophones Examples in English
Simply put, homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings or spellings.
A good example of homophones are; “there,” “their,” and “they’re”, “two,” “to,” and “too”,”flower” and “flour”, “ate” and “eight”, “hear” and “here”
Homophones can create confusion because they sound identical or very similar, leading to mistakes in spelling or understanding the intended meaning of a sentence.
Conclusion
By mastering the use of homophones in your writing, you can elevate the quality and impact of your content. Remember to always double-check your work for homophone errors, as they can easily slip through the cracks. With practice and attention to detail, you can confidently use homophones correctly and impress your readers with your improved writing skills. Keep these tips in mind and watch your writing flourish!
References
- byjus.com – List of Homophones – 400+ Homophones Words For English Language
- verbling.com – 25 Common English Homophones
