A neatly organized table showcasing a comprehensive list of homophones in English, ideal for learners and educators."

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 1Homophone 2Example 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 1Homophone 2Example 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.

 

 

 

 

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