- The words may be spelled same
- Homophones that are spelled the same are also both homographs and homonyms
- In linguistics, a homonym is, in the strict sense, one of a group of words that share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings
- A homograph a word a group of words that share the same written form but have different meanings
- Homophones that are spelled differently are also called heterographs
aid – to help or assist
aide - assistant
affect - change
effect – result or consequence
air – atmosphere (the stuff we breathe)
err – to make a mistake
aisle - walkway
I’ll – I will
isle - island
allowed - permitted
aloud – out loud
ant – picnic pest
aunt – relative, as in your mom’s sister
arc - curve
ark – Noah’s boat
ate – chewed up and swallowed
eight – number after seven
bare - uncovered
bear – grizzly animal
berry – fruit from a bush
bury – to put underground
base – bottom part
bass – deep or low
be – to exist
bee – buzzing insect
beach – sandy shore
beech – type of tree
beat - to pound
beet – type of edible plant
berth – tie up
birth – to be born
bite - nibble
byte – 8 bits (computer data)
blew – past of blow
blue – color of ocean
boar - pig
bore – not interesting
borough – area or district
burrow – dig through
burro – small donkey
bough - branch
bow – bend or curtsy
buoy - floater
boy – young man
brake – stop pedal
break – smash
bread – bakery food
bred – form of breed
broach - mention
brooch - pin
brows - eyebrows
browse – look around
buy - purchase
by - beside
bye – short for goodbye
cell – compartment
sell - vend
cent – penny coin
sent – did send
cereal – breakfast food
serial - sequential
Chile – country in South America
chili – bean stew
chilly – frosty
chord – musical tone
cord - rope
cite - quote
site - location
sight - view
close – opposite of open
clothes - clothing
complement – enhance; go together
compliment - praise
council - committee
counsel - guidance
creak - squeak
creek – stream of water
crews - gangs
cruise – ride on a boat
dear - darling
deer – woodland animal
dew – morning mist
do - operate
due - payable
die – cease to exist
dye - color
doe – female dear
dough – uncooked bread
dual - double
duel - battle
ewe – female sheep
you - second-person personal pronoun
eye – sight organ
I - me
fair - equal
fare - price
fairy – elflike creature with wings
ferry - boat
faze - impact
phase - stage
feat – achievement
feet – plural of foot
fir – type of tree
fur – animal hair
flea – small biting insect
flee - run
flew – did fly
flu – illness
flour – powdery, ground up grain
flower – blooming plant
for – on behalf of
fore - front
four – one more than three
forth - onward
fourth – number four
knew – did know
new – not old
gorilla – big ape
guerrilla - warrior
grease - fat
Greece – country in Europe
groan - moan
grown – form of grow
hair – head covering
hare – rabbit-like animal
hall - passageway
haul - tow
halve – cut in two parts
have - possess
hay – animal food
hey – interjection to get attention
heal - mend
heel – back of foot
hi - hello
high – up far
hoarse - croaky
horse – riding animal
hole - opening
whole - entire
holey – full of holes
holy - divine
wholly - entirely
hour – sixty minutes
our – belonging to us
knead - massage
need - desire
knight – feudal horseman
night - evening
knot – tied rope
not - negative
know – have knowledge
no – opposite of yes
lead – metal
led - was the leader
lessen – make smaller
lesson - class
loan - lend
lone - solitary
made – did make
maid - servant
mail - postage
male – opposite of female
marry – to wed
merry – very happy
meat – animal protein
meet - encounter
none – not any
nun – woman who takes special vows
oar – boat paddle
or - otherwise
ore - mineral
oh – expression of surprise or awe
owe – be obligated
one - single
won – did win
overdo – do too much
overdue – past due date
pail - bucket
pale – not bright
pain - hurt
pane – window glass
peace - calm
piece - segment
peak – highest point
peek - glance
plain - ordinary
plane – flight machine or flat surface
pole - post
poll - survey
poor – not rich
pour – make flow
pray – implore God
prey - quarry
principal – most important
principle - belief
rain – water from sky
rein - bridle
rap - tap
wrap – drape around
real - factual
reel - roll
right – correct; not left
write - scribble
ring - encircle
wring - squeeze
role - function
roll - rotate
rose - flower
rows - lines
sail – move by wind power
sale – bargain price
scene - landscape
seen - viewed
sea – ocean segment
see – observe with eyes
seam – joining edge
seem - appear
sew – connect with thread
so – as a result
sow - plant
soar - ascend
sore – hurt place
sole - single
soul - essence
some – a few
sum - amount
steal - swipe
steel - alloy
tail – animal’s appendage
tale - story
their – belonging to them
there – at that place
they’re – they are
to - toward
too - also
toe – foot appendage
tow – pull along
vary - differ
very - much
wail - howl
whale – huge swimming mammal
waist – area below ribs
waste - squander
wait – kill time
weight – measurable load
war - battle
wore – did wear
warn - caution
worn - used
way - path
weigh – measure mass
we - us
wee - tiny
weak – not strong
week – period of seven days
weather - climate
whether - if
which - that
witch – sorcerer
your – belonging to you
you’re – you are
