Homophones: Sounds the Same, Different Meanings
Homophones are words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings. This guide provides a comprehensive list of common homophones with examples to enhance your understanding and usage of language.
Homophones List with Definitions and Examples:
Understanding Homophones: Comprehensive List with Examples
Homophone 1 | Homophone 2 | Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
ad | add | "I saw an ad for a new car." / "Can you add these numbers?" |
aid | aide | "I will aid you with your project" / "The president's aide delivered the message." |
ail | ale | "My back tends to ail in winter" / "He ordered an ale at the pub." |
aisle | isle | "Walk down the aisle in the supermarket" / "We vacationed on a remote isle." |
I'll | "I'll see you tomorrow." | |
allowed | aloud | "You are not allowed to smoke here" / "Please read aloud." |
alter | altar | "I need to alter my dress" / "They stood at the altar." |
ant | aunt | "An ant crawled on the ground" / "My aunt is coming to visit." |
arc | ark | "The ball followed a high arc" / "Noah built an ark." |
ate | eight | "He ate dinner at 7" / "My son is eight years old." |
aught | ought | "For aught I know, he's coming." / "You ought to visit." |
awl | all | "He used an awl in leatherwork" / "I ate all the cake." |
bail | bale | "He was released on bail" / "A bale of hay fell off the truck." |
ball | bawl | "She kicked the ball" / "The baby started to bawl." |
band | banned | "He plays in a band" / "Smoking is banned here." |
bare | bear | "The cupboard was bare" / "A bear roamed the forest." |
baron | barren | "The baron owned vast lands" / "The landscape was barren." |
based | baste | "The story was based on true events" / "Baste the turkey every hour." |
buy | by | "I will buy a new coat" / "The house by the lake is beautiful." |
bye | "He advanced to the next round by a bye." | |
cache | cash | "He discovered a cache of jewels" / "Do you have any cash?" |
canvas | canvass | "The painting was on canvas" / "They will canvass the neighborhood." |
capital | capitol | "London is the capital of England" / "The capitol building stood tall." |
caret | carrot | "Insert a caret here" / "She added a carrot to the soup." |
carat | karat | "The ring was five carats" / "The gold was 24 karats." |
caries | carries | "Tooth caries can be painful" / "He carries a briefcase." |
cast | caste | "He was cast in the play" / "She belonged to an upper caste." |
cause | caws | "Smoking is a cause of illness" / "The sound of caws filled the air." |
cede | seed | "The land was ceded to them" / "Plant the seed in spring." |
cell | sell | "He was kept in a cell" / "They sell fresh produce." |
cellar | seller | "Wine was stored in the cellar" / "She's a top seller in her company." |
census | senses | "The census gathered population data" / "Trust your senses." |
cent | sent | "That costs one cent" / "She sent a letter." |
scent | "The scent of flowers was in the air." | |
sense | "Common sense is not so common." | |
cereal | serial | "He ate cereal for breakfast" / "She enjoys watching serial dramas." |
chaste | chased | "She lived a chaste life" / "The dog chased the cat." |
cheap | cheep | "That store sells cheap goods" / "I heard a bird cheep." |
chews | choose | "He chews gum loudly" / "You can choose your favorite flavor." |
be | bee | "You can be anything" / "A bee buzzed by." |
beach | beech | "We spent the day at the beach" / "A beech tree stood tall." |
chilli | chilly | "I added chilli to the recipe" / "It's chilly outside." |
bear | bare | "A bear wandered in the woods" / "The shelves were bare." |
beat | beet | "The drummer beat the drums" / "Add a beet to the salad." |
beau | bow | "Her beau brought flowers" / "The ship's bow pointed forward." |
choir | quire | "The choir sang beautifully" / "A quire of paper was on the desk." |
choral | coral | "They joined a choral group" / "The coral reef was stunning." |
chute | shoot | "Garbage went down the chute" / "He will shoot the scene tomorrow." |
cite | site | "Cite your sources properly" / "The construction site was busy." |
sight | "The Grand Canyon is a spectacular sight." | |
climb | clime | "Climb to the mountain's peak" / "They moved to a warmer clime." |
beer | bier | "He ordered a beer" / "The bier was carried through the streets." |
belle | bell | "She was the belle of the ball" / "The bell rang loudly." |
berry | bury | "Pick some berries from the bush" / "Bury the treasure." |
close | clothes | "Close the door softly" / "She bought new clothes." |
berth | birth | "Book a berth on the ship" / "The birth of her child was a joyous occasion." |
coarse | course | "The fabric was coarse" / "The course of the river changed." |
discussed | disgust | "We discussed the plan" / "The mess was a cause of disgust." |
doe | dough | "A doe roamed the forest" / "Roll out the dough for the pizza." |
higher | hire | "We aim for higher standards" / "They decided to hire a new employee." |
him | hymn | "I saw him yesterday" / "The choir sang a hymn." |
doughs | doze | "She made several doughs for baking" / "He took a quick doze." |
dual | duel | "The car has dual engines" / "They fought a duel at dawn." |
earn | urn | "He works hard to earn money" / "The urn was filled with flowers." |
eight | ate | "My son is eight years old" / "She ate the whole pizza." |
ewe | you | "The ewe grazed in the field" / "You are my best friend." |
eye | I | "Her eye color is blue" / "I will meet you at noon." |
fair | fare | "The science fair was interesting" / "The taxi fare was reasonable." |
feat | feet | "Climbing the mountain was a great feat" / "She soaked her tired feet." |
find | fined | "Did you find your keys?" / "He was fined for speeding." |
fir | fur | "A fir tree stood tall" / "The cat's fur was soft." |
flare | flair | "A flare was sent up" / "She has a flair for painting." |
flea | flee | "The dog had a flea" / "The thief tried to flee." |
flew | flu | "The bird flew away" / "He was sick with the flu." |
flue | "Smoke rose through the chimney flue." | |
flower | flour | "The garden has many flowers" / "She used flour to bake bread." |
for | four | "This gift is for you" / "She has four siblings." |
Homophone 1 | Homophone 2 | Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
for | four | "This gift is for you." / "She has four siblings." |
fore | "He shouted 'fore' while playing golf." | |
forth | fourth | "Go forth and prosper." / "She finished in fourth place." |
foul | fowl | "The player committed a foul." / "They raise fowl on the farm." |
freeze | frieze | "Water will freeze in cold temperatures." / "The frieze decorated the ancient building." |
frees | "The policy frees everyone from debt." | |
gamble | gambol | "He likes to gamble in casinos." / "Lambs gambol in the field." |
gate | gait | "Close the gate behind you." / "His gait was unsteady." |
gilt | guilt | "The gilt frame shone brightly." / "She felt guilt after the argument." |
gnu | knew | "A gnu is a wild animal." / "I knew the answer to the question." |
new | "She bought a new dress." | |
gored | gourd | "The bullfighter was gored." / "She carved a gourd for decoration." |
gorilla | guerrilla | "A gorilla is a large ape." / "The guerrilla fighters hid in the jungle." |
hoard | horde | "He tends to hoard old newspapers." / "A horde of fans gathered at the concert." |
hoarse | horse | "Her voice was hoarse from shouting." / "The horse galloped across the field." |
hole | whole | "The shirt had a hole in it." / "She ate the whole pie by herself." |
holy | wholly | "The site is holy to many people." / "She was wholly committed to the project." |
hour | our | "One hour consists of 60 minutes." / "Our team won the game." |
are | "Are you coming to the party?" | |
idle | idol | "He remained idle all day." / "The singer was her idol." |
idyl | "The painting depicted a peaceful idyl." | |
in | inn | "Come in the house." / "They stayed at an inn." |
incite | insight | "His words might incite a riot." / "She had a deep insight into the problem." |
its | it's | "The cat licked its paws." / "It's going to rain today." |
jam | jamb | "She made strawberry jam." / "The door jamb needed repair." |
jeans | genes | "He wore blue jeans." / "Genes determine hair colour." |
key | quay | "She lost her car key." / "The boat docked at the quay." |
knead | need | "Knead the dough for the bread." / "You need to study for the test." |
knew | new | "I knew about the plan." / "He bought a new car." |
knight | night | "The knight wore armour." / "The stars are bright at night." |
knit | nit | "She likes to knit in her free time." / "They found a nit in the child's hair." |
know | no | "I know the answer." / "There was no sugar left." |
knows | nose | "She knows the secret." / "The dog's nose is very sensitive." |
lain | lane | "She had lain on the couch all day." / "Drive in the right lane." |
lead | led | "Use a pencil with soft lead." / "She led the team to victory." |
leak | leek | "The pipe has a leak." / "Add some leek to the soup." |
leased | least | "They leased a new apartment." / "She is the least worried of all." |
lessen | lesson | "To lessen your workload, delegate tasks." / "Today's lesson is on algebra." |
levy | levee | "The government will levy a new tax." / "The levee protects against floods." |
Enhancing Vocabulary with Homophones
This continued list of homophones provides a rich resource for learners to enhance their vocabulary and understand the nuances of English spelling and pronunciation.