Cooking Up Some Homophones
Homophones
Words that sound same but have different spellings and meanings.
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| Common Homophones |
Why Does English Have so Many Homophones?
A word’s pronunciation in English may not always be the same as its spelling. English does have many vowel sounds, many silent letters, and lots of words that come from many other different languages. As a result, there are also lots of homophones in English.
To help you learn these, we’ve put together some cool tips, plus a handy list of some of the most common homophones in English.
There’s a popular saying in English: “Practice makes perfect.” That means that if you want to become an expert at something (like learning homophones or even English in general), you have to practice a lot. Fortunately, if you want to practice homophones, there are many ways to do so.
15 Sets of English Homophones All English Learners Should Know
1. ate, eight
To help you learn these, we’ve put together some cool tips, plus a handy list of some of the most common homophones in English.
There’s a popular saying in English: “Practice makes perfect.” That means that if you want to become an expert at something (like learning homophones or even English in general), you have to practice a lot. Fortunately, if you want to practice homophones, there are many ways to do so.
15 Sets of English Homophones All English Learners Should Know
ate (verb): This is the simple past tense of the verb “to eat.”
I ate an entire pizza and now I’m really full and tired.
eight (noun): The number after seven and before nine.
Giny will wake up at eight o’clock tomorrow morning.
Interesting note: There is a popular children’s joke that goes like this:
Q: Why was 6 afraid of 7?
A: Because 7 ate 9.
2. bare, bear
bare (adjective): If something is bare, it means that it’s not covered or not decorated.
Tom likes to walk around his house in bare feet. He says it’s more comfortable than wearing shoes.
bear (noun): A large mammal.
When you go camping, you should be careful to not leave any food or anything with a scent in your tent because they can attract bears.
3. buy, by, bye
to buy (verb): A synonym of “to purchase.” It’s probably one of the first verbs you learned.
I forgot my money at home. Do you think you could buy me lunch and I’ll pay you back tomorrow?
by (preposition): This can be used in many different ways. It’s commonly used to mean “next to” or “near” when describing a location. It can also indicate who created something.
My favorite autobiography is “The Autobiography of Malcolm X.” It’s written by Malcolm X and Alex Haley.
bye (exclamation): This is a shortening of “goodbye.”
I’ve got to go now, so bye! See you on Sunday!
Interesting note: This is a set of three homophones, but you could also possibly include the prefix “bi-.” It means “two,” as in “bicycle” (something that uses two legs), but it can also be an adjective as an abbreviation for “biannual.” So if you include “bi,” then this can actually be a set of four homophones!
4. cell, sell
cell (noun): A cell is a small area or room, usually in a prison. A cell can also be one of the smallest divisions of a living organism.
The prisoner spent 10 years in his cell.
to sell (verb): To exchange a product or service for money. Like “buy,” it was probably one of the first verbs you learned.
We would like to sell our car, but we don’t think we’d get very much money for it.
5. dew, do, due
dew (noun): Dew is the name for small drops of water that accumulate (gather) on plants and other objects outside during the night.
When I went outside early in the morning, the dew on the grass made my shoes wet.
to do (verb): This common verb is used to indicate an action. It can also be an auxiliary verb.
What do you usually do on Friday nights?
due (adjective): This is used to indicate the deadline (final day) that something can happen. It’s also used to indicate when a baby will probably be born.
My friend is pregnant. Her baby is due in October.
Interesting note: The soft drink company Mountain Dew played with this homophone set with its motto “Do the Dew.”
6. eye, I
eye (noun): The part of your body that you use to see.
My eyes hurt when I read. I think I need a pair of glasses.
I (pronoun): A first person singular subject pronoun.
I really hope you know what this word means.
7. fairy, ferry
fairy (noun): A mythical creature that can often do magic.
There is a fairy named Tinkerbell in the story “Peter Pan.”
ferry (noun): A ferry is a boat that moves passengers and vehicles across water. It’s used for long distances or places where there are no bridges.
The ferry in Costa Rica is really hot and incredibly badly organized. At least the trip only takes an hour.
Interesting note: There is a common mythical fairy in some parts of the world called the Tooth Fairy. She’s especially popular in the USA. The story is that when a child loses a tooth, he or she should put the tooth under their pillow. Then, while they sleep, the Tooth Fairy will replace the tooth with a coin.
eye (noun): The part of your body that you use to see.
My eyes hurt when I read. I think I need a pair of glasses.
I (pronoun): A first person singular subject pronoun.
I really hope you know what this word means.
7. fairy, ferry
fairy (noun): A mythical creature that can often do magic.
There is a fairy named Tinkerbell in the story “Peter Pan.”
ferry (noun): A ferry is a boat that moves passengers and vehicles across water. It’s used for long distances or places where there are no bridges.
The ferry in Costa Rica is really hot and incredibly badly organized. At least the trip only takes an hour.
Interesting note: There is a common mythical fairy in some parts of the world called the Tooth Fairy. She’s especially popular in the USA. The story is that when a child loses a tooth, he or she should put the tooth under their pillow. Then, while they sleep, the Tooth Fairy will replace the tooth with a coin.
8. flour, flower
flour (noun): This is the main ingredient in bread. It’s a powder made from ground grains.
Tony wanted to make a cake, but he didn’t have any flour, so he couldn’t.
flower (noun): The decorative, colorful part of a plant.
If you want to give flowers to somebody you love, avoid white roses.They are often given when someone dies.
Interesting note: In some languages, there is an element that has a name similar to “flour.” But in English, the element is called “fluoride,” and the “u” is silent.
9. for, four
for (preposition): This preposition is usually used to indicate a person who receives something, or to indicate a purpose.
We wanted to buy a chocolate cake for Cheryl’s birthday. The bakery didn’t have any chocolate cakes for sale, though, so we got vanilla instead.
four (noun): The number after three and before five.
The Beatles, one of the most famous bands ever, had four members: George, John, Paul and Ringo.
Interesting note: This is another set of homophones that can also include a third: If you’re playing golf, you should yell “Fore!” right before you hit the ball. This warns other people to look out for your ball.
10. hear, here
to hear (verb): This is the action that you do with your ears. The sense is called “hearing.”
I can’t hear the TV. Can you please turn up the volume?
here (adverb): “Here” indicates the place where you are at any moment.It’s the opposite of “there,” basically.
Can you set the boxes down over here please? Yes, right here next to the door.
11. hour, our
hour (noun): A period of time that lasts 60 minutes.
It takes about six hours to drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
our (pronoun): This is the possessive pronoun form of “we.”
We should study for our exams.
12. know, no
to know (verb): To have knowledge or understanding about something.
Reggie knows how to speak French.
no (determiner): This indicates a negation or something that’s not true.
There is no good reason to listen to Justin Bieber.
13. knight, night
knight (noun): A man given a special honor (or rank) by a king or queen.Their title is usually “Sir.”
One popular English legend talks about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
night (noun): The period of time when it’s dark and most people sleep.
I prefer to work at night, since it’s quieter and not as hot. I can concentrate better.
Interesting note: There was a popular TV show in the 1980s called “Knight Rider,” but many people thought it was “Night Rider.”It was actually called “Knight Rider” because the main character, played by David Hasselhoff, was named Michael Knight.
14. mail, male
(to) mail (verb or noun): As a noun, this is a collective noun for letters and packages. As a verb, this means to send something to somebody. Email also comes from this word.
I haven’t gotten the mail yet today, but I was expecting a letter from grandma. Can you please check the mailbox?
male (adjective or noun): An adjective (or noun) indicating that something is masculine or has masculine reproductive organs.
People always ask if our cat is pregnant. I tell them he can’t be, since he’s a male. He’s just fat.
15. marry, merry
to marry (verb): The action when two people have a wedding; also called “to get married.”
My grandpa told me to be sure to marry a good woman.
merry (adjective): A synonym for “happy,” but less common in modern English. Mostly used in phrases like “Merry Christmas!”
I don’t like to go shopping in December because the song “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” always gets stuck in my head.
Interesting note: This is another example of a three-word homophone set, if you include the name “Mary.”
flour (noun): This is the main ingredient in bread. It’s a powder made from ground grains.
Tony wanted to make a cake, but he didn’t have any flour, so he couldn’t.
flower (noun): The decorative, colorful part of a plant.
If you want to give flowers to somebody you love, avoid white roses.They are often given when someone dies.
Interesting note: In some languages, there is an element that has a name similar to “flour.” But in English, the element is called “fluoride,” and the “u” is silent.
9. for, four
for (preposition): This preposition is usually used to indicate a person who receives something, or to indicate a purpose.
We wanted to buy a chocolate cake for Cheryl’s birthday. The bakery didn’t have any chocolate cakes for sale, though, so we got vanilla instead.
four (noun): The number after three and before five.
The Beatles, one of the most famous bands ever, had four members: George, John, Paul and Ringo.
Interesting note: This is another set of homophones that can also include a third: If you’re playing golf, you should yell “Fore!” right before you hit the ball. This warns other people to look out for your ball.
10. hear, here
to hear (verb): This is the action that you do with your ears. The sense is called “hearing.”
I can’t hear the TV. Can you please turn up the volume?
here (adverb): “Here” indicates the place where you are at any moment.It’s the opposite of “there,” basically.
Can you set the boxes down over here please? Yes, right here next to the door.
11. hour, our
hour (noun): A period of time that lasts 60 minutes.
It takes about six hours to drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
our (pronoun): This is the possessive pronoun form of “we.”
We should study for our exams.
12. know, no
to know (verb): To have knowledge or understanding about something.
Reggie knows how to speak French.
no (determiner): This indicates a negation or something that’s not true.
There is no good reason to listen to Justin Bieber.
13. knight, night
knight (noun): A man given a special honor (or rank) by a king or queen.Their title is usually “Sir.”
One popular English legend talks about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
night (noun): The period of time when it’s dark and most people sleep.
I prefer to work at night, since it’s quieter and not as hot. I can concentrate better.
Interesting note: There was a popular TV show in the 1980s called “Knight Rider,” but many people thought it was “Night Rider.”It was actually called “Knight Rider” because the main character, played by David Hasselhoff, was named Michael Knight.
14. mail, male
(to) mail (verb or noun): As a noun, this is a collective noun for letters and packages. As a verb, this means to send something to somebody. Email also comes from this word.
I haven’t gotten the mail yet today, but I was expecting a letter from grandma. Can you please check the mailbox?
male (adjective or noun): An adjective (or noun) indicating that something is masculine or has masculine reproductive organs.
People always ask if our cat is pregnant. I tell them he can’t be, since he’s a male. He’s just fat.
15. marry, merry
to marry (verb): The action when two people have a wedding; also called “to get married.”
My grandpa told me to be sure to marry a good woman.
merry (adjective): A synonym for “happy,” but less common in modern English. Mostly used in phrases like “Merry Christmas!”
I don’t like to go shopping in December because the song “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” always gets stuck in my head.
Interesting note: This is another example of a three-word homophone set, if you include the name “Mary.”
Resource Hub
- Buy Homophone Flashcards: If you have a child who is a visual learner or who has dyslexia you NEED these cards! The picture cues are very effective.
- Book on Homonyms, Homophones and Homographs: Vocabulary Building
- Video on How To Learn And Use 1000 English Vocabulary Words
- Video on Homonyms Homographs Homophones Commonly Confused Words
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