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English Language Homophones

by Guest

Mar 27, 2009 Grammar 4050 Views

t/TotalESL/art_990_0ae839fa21~.jpg

Homophones are words that have exactly the same sound (pronunciation) but different meanings and (usually) spelling.

For example, the following two words have the same sound, but different meanings and spelling:

hour                       our

In the next example, the two words have the same sound and spelling, but different meanings:

bear (the animal)                 bear (to carry)

Usually homophones are in groups of two (our, hour), but very occasionally they can be in groups of three (to, too, two) or even four. If we take our "bear" example, we can add another word to the group"

bare (naked-no clothes)     bear (the animal)    bear (to tolerate)

The following list of 70 groups of homophones contains only the most common homophones, using relatively well-known words. These are headwords only. No inflections (such as third person singular "s" or noun plurals) are included.

Air

heir

 

 

none

Nun

 

aisle

isle

 

 

oar

Or

 

ante-

anti-

 

 

one

Won

 

eye

I

 

 

pair

Pear

 

bare

bear

Bear

 

peace

Piece

 

be

bee

 

 

plain

Plane

 

brake

break

 

 

poor

Pour

 

buy

by

 

 

pray

Prey

 

cell

sell

 

 

principal

Principle

 

cent

scent

 

 

profit

Prophet

 

cereal

serial

 

 

real

Reel

 

coarse

course

 

 

right

Write

 

complement

compliment

 

 

root

Route

 

dam

damn

 

 

sail

Sale

 

dear

deer

 

 

sea

See

 

die

dye

 

 

seam

Seem

 

fair

fare

 

 

sight

Site

 

fir

fur

 

 

sew

So

sow

flour

flower

 

 

shore

Sure

 

for

four

 

 

sole

Soul

 

hair

hare

 

 

some

Sum

 

heal

heel

 

 

son

Sun

 

hear

here

 

 

stair

Stare

 

him

hymn

 

 

stationary

Stationery

 

hole

whole

 

 

steal

Steel

 

hour

our

 

 

suite

Sweet

 

idle

idol

 

 

tail

Tale

 

in

inn

 

 

their

There

 

knight

night

 

 

to

Too

two

knot

not

 

 

toe

Tow

 

know

no

 

 

waist

Waste

 

made

maid

 

 

wait

Weight

 

mail

male

 

 

way

Weigh

 

meat

meet

 

 

weak

Week

 

morning

mourning

 

 

wear

Where

 

 

Forms to remember

Accept, Except

  • accept = verb meaning to receive or to agree: He accepted their praise graciously.
  • except = preposition meaning all but, other than: Everyone went to the game except Alyson.

Affect, Effect

  • affect = verb meaning to influence: Will lack of sleep affect your game?
  • effect = noun meaning result or consequence: Will lack of sleep have an effect on your game?
  • effect = verb meaning to bring about, to accomplish: Our efforts have effected a major change in university policy.

Advise, Advice

  • advise = verb that means to recommend, suggest, or counsel: I advise you to be cautious.
  • advice = noun that means an opinion or recommendation about what could or should be done: I'd like to ask for your advice on this matter.

Conscious, Conscience

  • conscious = adjective meaning awake, perceiving: Despite a head injury, the patient remained conscious.
  • conscience = noun meaning the sense of obligation to be good: Chris wouldn't cheat because his conscience wouldn't let him.

Idea, Ideal

  • idea = noun meaning a thought, belief, or conception held in the mind, or a general notion or conception formed by generalization: Jennifer had a brilliant idea -- she'd go to the Writing Lab for help with her papers!
  • ideal = noun meaning something or someone that embodies perfection, or an ultimate object or endeavor: Mickey was the ideal for tutors everywhere.
  • ideal = adjective meaning embodying an ultimate standard of excellence or perfection, or the best; Jennifer was an ideal student.

Its, It's

  • its = possessive adjective (possesive form of the pronoun it): The crab had an unusual growth on its shell.
  • it's = contraction for it is or it has (in a verb phrase): It's still raining; it's been raining for three days. (Pronouns have apostrophes only when two words are being shortened into one.)

Lead, Led

  • lead = noun referring to a dense metallic element: The X-ray technician wore a vest lined with lead.
  • led = past-tense and past-participle form of the verb to lead, meaning to guide or direct: The evidence led the jury to reach a unanimous decision.

Than, Then

Than

used in comparison statements: He is richer than I.
used in statements of preference: I would rather dance than eat.
used to suggest quantities beyond a specified amount: Read more than the first paragraph.

Then

a time other than now: He was younger then. She will start her new job then.
next in time, space, or order: First we must study; then we can play.
suggesting a logical conclusion: If you've studied hard, then the exam should be no problem.

Their, There, They're

  • Their = possessive pronoun: They got their books.
  • There = that place: My house is over there. (This is a place word, and so it contains the word here.)
  • They're = contraction for they are: They're making dinner. (Pronouns have apostrophes only when two words are being shortened into one.)

To, Too, Two

  • To = preposition, or first part of the infinitive form of a verb: They went to the lake to swim.
  • Too = very, also: I was too tired to continue. I was hungry, too.
  • Two = the number 2: Two students scored below passing on the exam.

Two, twelve, and between are all words related to the number 2, and all contain the letters tw.
Too can mean also or can be an intensifier, and you might say that it contains an extra o ("one too many")

We're, Where, Were

  • We're = contraction for we are: We're glad to help. (Pronouns have apostrophes only when two words are being shortened into one.)
  • Where = location: Where are you going? (This is a place word, and so it contains the word here.)
  • Were = a past tense form of the verb be: They were walking side by side.

Your, You're

  • Your = possessive pronoun: Your shoes are untied.
  • You're = contraction for you are: You're walking around with your shoes untied. (Pronouns have apostrophes only when two words are being shortened into one.)

One Word or Two?

All ready/already

  • all ready: used as an adjective to express complete preparedness
  • already: an adverb expressing time

At last I was all ready to go, but everyone had already left.

All right/alright

  • all right: used as an adjective or adverb; older and more formal spelling, more common in scientific & academic writing: Will you be all right on your own?
  • alright: Alternate spelling of all right; less frequent but used often in journalistic and business publications, and especially common in
    fictional dialogue: He does alright in school.

All together/altogether

  • all together: an adverb meaning considered as a whole, summed up: All together, there were thirty-two students at the museum.
  • altogether: an intensifying adverb meaning wholly, completely, entirely: His comment raises an altogether different problem.

Anyone/any one

  • anyone: a pronoun meaning any person at all: Anyone who can solve this problem deserves an award.
  • any one: a paired adjective and noun meaning a specific item in a group; usually used with of: Any one of those papers could serve as an example.

Note: There are similar distinctions in meaning for everyone and every one

Anyway/any way

  • anyway: an adverb meaning in any case or nonetheless: He objected, but she went anyway.
  • any way: a paired adjective and noun meaning any particular course, direction, or manner: Any way we chose would lead to danger.

Awhile/a while

  • awhile: an adverb meaning for a short time; some readers consider it nonstandard; usually needs no preposition: Won't you stay awhile?
  • a while: a paired article and noun meaning a period of time; usually used with for: We talked for a while, and then we said good night.

Maybe/may be

  • maybe: an adverb meaning perhaps: Maybe we should wait until the rain stops.
  • may be: a form of the verb be: This may be our only chance to win the championship.

Article source: http://eslarticle.com/pub/teaching/grammar/990-english-language-homophones.html

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