Homophones
Words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings - a common source of confusion in English.
What are Homophones?
Homophones are words that are pronounced the same way but differ in meaning, and usually in spelling. The word comes from the Greek homo- (meaning "same") and phone (meaning "sound").
English has many homophones because it has borrowed words from different languages and has irregular spelling rules. This makes English challenging for learners but also creates opportunities for puns and wordplay!
Common Homophones
Their
Meaning: Belonging to them
"Their car is red."
There
Meaning: In or at that place
"The book is over there."
They're
Meaning: They are (contraction)
"They're going to the park."
Your
Meaning: Belonging to you
"Is this your phone?"
You're
Meaning: You are (contraction)
"You're my best friend."
To
Meaning: Expressing direction or purpose
"I'm going to school."
Too
Meaning: Also, or excessively
"I want some too!"
Two
Meaning: The number 2
"I have two cats."
Its
Meaning: Belonging to it
"The dog wagged its tail."
It's
Meaning: It is or it has (contraction)
"It's a beautiful day."
Here
Meaning: In this place
"Come over here!"
Hear
Meaning: To perceive sound
"Can you hear me?"
See
Meaning: To perceive with eyes
"I can see the mountain."
Sea
Meaning: Large body of salt water
"We sailed across the sea."
Flower
Meaning: Bloom of a plant
"She picked a flower."
Flour
Meaning: Powder made from grain
"Add flour to make bread."
Knight
Meaning: Medieval warrior
"The knight wore armor."
Night
Meaning: Period of darkness
"The stars shine at night."
Write
Meaning: To form letters or words
"Please write your name."
Right
Meaning: Correct or direction
"Turn right at the corner."
Rite
Meaning: Ceremonial act
"A religious rite."
Allowed
Meaning: Permitted
"You are not allowed here."
Aloud
Meaning: Out loud, audibly
"Read the story aloud."
Brake
Meaning: Device to stop motion
"Press the brake pedal."
Break
Meaning: To separate or fracture
"Don't break the glass."
Peace
Meaning: Freedom from war or conflict
"We hope for world peace."
Piece
Meaning: A portion of something
"May I have a piece of cake?"
Why Are Homophones Confusing?
Homophones are especially challenging for:
- Language learners who rely on pronunciation
- Writers who may confuse similar-sounding words
- Spell-checkers, which can't detect homophone errors
Related Terms
Homonyms: Words with the same spelling and sound but different meanings
Homographs: Words spelled the same but with different meanings and sometimes different pronunciations
Heterographs: Homophones that are spelled differently
Fun Facts About Homophones
- The most commonly confused homophones are "their/there/they're" and "your/you're"
- Some homophones have more than two variations, like "to/too/two" or "write/right/rite/wright"
- Homophones are a favorite tool for puns and jokes in English
- Some languages have very few homophones compared to English
- The sentence "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo" is grammatically correct and uses the homophone/homonym "buffalo"
- Regional accents can create additional homophones - words that sound the same in one accent but different in another