most commonly confused homophones
TRANSCRIPT
Ate: He ate a healthy dinner.Eight: I saw eight fish in the pond.
Break: Do not break your pencil.Brake: Dad stepped on the brake to stop the car.
Buy: She went to the store to buy milk.By: There was a tall tree by the pond.
Deer: Deer run through the field in the fall.Dear: My dear friend sent me a card in the mail.
For: She has a gift for Grandma.Four: We will pick four daisies.
Flour: The recipe calls for two cups of flour.Flower: She will plant a flower by the fence.
Flu: He was sick in bed with the flu.Flew: A bird flew across the field.
Hear: I can hear the trumpet.Here: Look over here.
Heard: I heard the choir sing.Herd: The rancher gathered his herd of cattle.
Knew: I knew the correct answer.New: Did you get a new coat?
Most Commonly Confused
Homophones
Meat: We will have carrots and potatoes with meat for dinner.Meet: Did you meet the new coach?
Pair: I lost my favorite pair of socks.Pear: A pear is a delicious fruit.
Peace: I felt great peace while sitting next to the quiet brook.Piece: Would you like a piece of pie?
Peak: The top of the mountain peak is covered in snow.Peek: Do not peek inside the package.
Pedal: Pedal your bike up the hill. Petal: The flower petal fell to the ground.
Right: Turn right at the corner.Write: Write your name at the top of the paper.
Sail: The captain raised the sail on the boat.Sale: The store is having a sale on grapes this week.
Sea: Three ships sailed across the sea.See: Can you see the birds in the tree?
Seen: I have never seen the ocean.Scene: The artist painted a beautiful scene.
Stairs: The room is at the top of the stairs.Stares: The girl stares at the stars.
Wait: Wait here for your turn.Weight: What is the weight of that pumpkin?
Waist: He wears a belt around his waist.Waste: Do not waste the extra food.
Way: Which way should we go?Weigh: How much does an elephant weigh?
Wear: Did you wear a coat and hat?Where: Where are you going for your vacation?
Weak: The chain broke because of a weak link.Week: How many days are in a week?
Weather: The weather for today is cold and rainy.Whether: Did you decide whether you will go with us to the game?
Who’s: We need an actor who’s tall for this role. [who’s = who is]Whose: Whose sweater is this?
Wood: My dad built this stool using wood.Would: Would you like to go for a walk?
You’re: You’re such a wonderful friend! [you’re = you are]Your: Here are your shoes.
Cent: The gumball cost one cent.Scent: The flower has a fragrant scent.
Sent: He sent a letter in the mail.
Heal: It will take six weeks for his broken arm to heal.Heel: Step with the heel of your foot.
He’ll: Dad said he’ll bring you to the park. [he’ll = he will]
Mary: I have a friend named Mary.Marry: The happy couple will marry next month.
Merry: The merry boy happily took his puppy for a walk.
There: We will go there.Their: I went to their house.
They’re: They’re coming to my house. [they’re = they are]
To: Are you going to the store?Too: There are too many flies in here!
Two: I have two sisters.
Homophoneaccede — exceed
accept — except
ad — add
addition — edition
adduce — educe
affected — effected
affects — effects
affect — effect
aid — aide
air — heir — err
aisle — isle — I’ll
all — awl
allowed — aloud
allude — elude
allusion — illusion
allusive — elusive — illusive
altar — alter
amend — emend
ant — aunt
apatite — appetite
apprise — apprize
arc — ark
Ariel — aerial
arrant — errant
ascent — assent
assistance — assistants
ate — eight
atom — Adam
auger — augur
aural — oral
aureole — oriole
away — aweigh
ax — acts
axel — axle
axes — axis
aye — eye — I
baa — bah
babble — babel
bad — bade
bait — bate
baited — bated
bald — balled — bawled
bale — baal — bail
ball — bawl
band — banned
bare — bear
baron — barren
base — bass
based — baste
bases — basis
basil — basal
bask — basque
be — bee
beech — beach
been — Ben — bin
beet — beat
bell — belle
berry — bury
billed — build
bird — burred
birth — berth
bite — byte — bight
bizarre — bazaar
blew — blue
bloc — block
bolder — boulder
bomb — bombe
border — boarder
bore — boar
bored — board
born — borne
borough — burro — burrow
bough — bow
bouillon — bullion
bow — beau
braid — brayed
braise — brays
brake — break
bread — bred
breech — breach
brewed — brood
brews — bruise
bridal — bridle
broach — brooch
brows — browse
bussed — bust
but — butt
buy — by — bye
cache — cash
caddie — caddy
Cain — cane
calendar — calender
cannon — canon
canter — cantor
canvas — canvass
capital — capitol
carrot — carat — caret
cast — caste
caster — castor
cause — caws
cedar — seeder
cede — seed
ceiling — sealing
cell — sell
cellar — seller
censor — sensor
cent — scent — sent
cents — scents — sense
cereal — serial
Ceres — series
cession — session
chance — chants
chased — chaste
chauffeur — shofar
cheap — cheep
check — Czech
chews — choose
chic — sheik
Chile — chilly — chili
choir — quire
choral — coral
chord — cord — cored
chute — shoot
cite — sight — site
cited — sided — sighted
clack — claque
clamber — clammer — clamor
clause — claws
clew — clue
click — clique
climb — clime
close — clothes — cloze
coal — cole
coarse — course
coarser — courser
coat — cote
coax — cokes
collard — collared
colonel — kernel
complacent — complaisant
complement — compliment
complementary — complimentary
conceded — conceited
confirmation — conformation
consonance — consonants
coolie — coulee
coop — coupe
cops — copse
core — corps
council — counsel
coup — coo
cousin — cozen
coward — cowered
coy — koi
craft — kraft
crape — crepe
crawl — kraal
creak — creek
crews — cruise
cruel — crewel
cue — queue
currant — current
cygnet — signet
cymbal — symbol
Dane — deign
days — daze
dear — deer
defused — diffused
dense — dents
descent — dissent
desert — dessert
dew — do — due
disburse — disperse
discreet — discrete
doe — dough — do (in music)
duct — ducked
ducts — ducks
duel — dual
dun — done
dye — die
dyeing — dying
earn — urn
edition — addition
educe — adduce
eek — eke
effect — affect
effected — affected
effects — affects
eight — ate
elicit — illicit
elude — allude
elusive — allusive — illusive
emend — amend
enumerable — innumerable
err — heir — air
errant — arrant
eve — eave
ewe — you — yew
ewes — yews — use
exceed — accede
except — accept
exercise — exorcise
eye — I — aye
eyed — I’d
eyelet — islet
facts — fax
faint — feint
fair — fare
fairy — ferry
fate — fete
faun — fawn
fax — facts
faze — phase
feat — feet
fends — fens — fins
few — phew
fiancé — fiancée
find — fined
finish — Finnish
fisher — fissure
flair — flare
flea — flee
flew — flu — flue
flier — flyer
flocks — phlox
flour — flower
flow — floe
foaled — fold
fort — forte
forth — fourth
forward — foreword
foul — fowl
four — fore — for
franc — frank
frays — phrase
freeze — frees — friese
friar — fryer
fur — fir
gaff — gaffe
gait — gate
gale — Gail
gamble — gambol
gel — jell
gene — jean
gibe — jibe
gneiss — Nice
gnu — knew — new
gofer — gopher
gored — gourd
gorilla — guerilla
grade — grayed
graft — graphed
graham — gram
grease — Greece
great — grate
greater — grater
grill — grille
grizzly — grisly
grown — groan
guild — gild
guilder — gilder
gym — Jim
hail — hale
hair — hare
hall — haul
halve — have
handmade — handmaid
handsome — hansom
hangar — hanger
hay — hey
hays — haze
hear — here
heard — herd
heart — hart
he’d — heed
heel — heal — he’ll
heroin — heroine
heir — air — err
hew — hue — Hugh
hi — high
higher — hire
him — hymn
hoard — horde
hoarse — horse
hold — holed
hole — whole
holy — holey — wholly
hoop — whoop
hour — our
humerus — humorous
hurts — hertz
I — aye — eye
I’d — eyed
idle — idol — idyll
illicit — elicit
I’ll — aisle — isle
illusion — allusion
illusive — allusive — elusive
incite — insight
inn — in
innocence — innocents
innumerable — enumerable
islet — eyelet
its — it’s
jam — jamb
jean — gene
jell — gel
jibe — gibe
Jim — gym
kernel — colonel
knead — kneed — need
knew — new — gnu
knap — nap
knave — nave
knight — night
knit — nit
knot — not
know — no
koi — coy
kraal — crawl
kraft — craft
ladder — latter
lade — laid
lain — lane
laps — lapse
lay — lei
lays — laze — leis
lea — lee
leach — leech
lead — led
leak — leek
lean — lien
leased — least
lens — lends
lesson — lessen
lets — let’s
levy — levee
lie — lye
liar — lier — lyre
liken — lichen
load — lode — lowed
loan — lone
loath — loathe
lock — loch
lute — loot
madder — matter
made — maid
mail — male
main — mane — Maine
maize — maze
mall — maul
manner — manor
mantle — mantel
mare — mayor
medal — metal — mettle — meddle
meet — mete — meat
merry — Mary — marry
meteor — meatier
mind — mined
mints — mince
missal — missile
missed — mist
misses — Mrs.
mite — might
moan — mown
moat — mote
mode — mowed
mood — mooed
moose — mousse
morn — mourn
morning — mourning
mucous — mucus
mule — mewl
muscle — mussel
must — mussed
mustard — mustered
nap — knap
naval — navel
nave — knave
nay — neigh
need — knead — kneed
new — gnu — knew
nice — gneiss
nice — niece
night — knight
none — nun
ode — owed
one — won
or — oar — ore
our — hour
overdue — overdo
overseas — oversees
pain — pane
pair — pare — pear
palate — palette — pallet
pale — pail
parish — perish
parlay — parley
passed — past
paste — paced
patience — patients
patted — padded
paws — pause
pea — pee
peace — piece
peak — peek — pique
peal — peel
per — purr
petal — pedal — peddle
pie — pi
pier — peer
pigeon — pidgin
pistil — pistol
plane — plain
plum — plumb
poll — pole
poor — pour — pore
pray — prey
prays — praise — preys
pride — pried
prince — prints
principle — principal
quarts — quartz
queue — cue
raise — rays — raze
rap — wrap
read — red
read — reed
real — reel
reek — wreak
reign — rein — rain
residence — residents
review — revue
rigger — rigor
right — write — rite
ring — wring
road — rode — rowed
roam — Rome
role — roll
root — route
rose — rows
rote — wrote
rough — ruff
rung — wrung
rye — wry
sachet — sashay
sack — sac
sale — sail
saver — savor
sealing — ceiling
seam — seem
sear — seer — sere
seas — sees — seize
see — sea
seed — cede
seen — scene
sell — cell
seller — cellar
sense — cents — scents
sensor — censor
sent — scent — cent
shear — sheer
sheik — chic
shoe — shoo
shone — shown
sic — sick
sighed — side
sighs — size
sight — site — cite
sighted — cited — sided
so — sow — sew
Thai — tie
theirs — there’s
there — they’re — their
threw — through
throes — throws
throne — thrown
tide — tied
tigress — Tigris
timber — timbre
time — thyme
to — too — two
toe — tow
toed — toad — towed
told — tolled
tool — tulle
trust — trussed
turn — tern
tutor — Tudor — tooter
tux — tucks
udder — utter
undo — undue
use — ewes — yews
vain — vane — vein
vale — veil
very — vary
vice — vise
vile — vial
wade — weighed
wader — waiter
wale — wail — whale
walk — wok
war — wore
warn — worn
waste — waist
way — whey — weigh
we — wee
wear — where — ware
weather — wether — whether
weave — we’ve
weed — we’d
week — weak
weighs — ways
weight — wait
were — whir
wet — whet
we’ll — wheel
whacks — wax
which — witch
whirled — world
whirred — word
whoa — woe
whole — hole
wholly — holey — holy
whose — who’s
wood — would
wrote — rote
yoke — yolk
your — you’re — yore
yule — you’ll
soar — sore
soared — sword
stationary — stationery
stayed — staid
steal — steel
steak — stake
step — steppe
straight — strait
suede — swayed
suit — soot
suite — sweet
sum — some
sun — son
sundae — Sunday
surf — serf
surge — serge
sync — sink
tacked — tact
tacks — tax
tale — tail
taper — tapir
tarry — terry
taught — taut
taupe — tope
tea — tee
team — teem
tear — tier
teas — tease — tees
tends — tens
tense — tents
Sentences1. ___________ the ship on the ___________. (see, sea)
2. ___________ should you ___________ your coat? (where, wear)
3. Use ___________ to make ___________-shaped cookies. (flower, flour)
4. We can ___________ at the top of the mountain ___________. (peak, peek)
5. The ___________ rode his horse at ___________ on the road. (knight, night)
6. The ___________ pie fell in the ___________. (whole, hole)
7. ___________ going to like ___________ new bike. (you’re, your)
8. Father and ___________ walk in the ___________. (sun, son)
9. I ate a ___________ on ___________. (Sunday, sundae)
10. ___________ you like some more ___________ for the fire? (would, wood)
11. ___________ you know when the paper is ___________? (due, do)
12. Mom ___________ me one ___________. (cent, sent)
13. She ___________ ___________ blue ribbon. (won, one)
14. He told a ___________ about a lion’s ___________. (tail, tale)
15. ___________ your name to the ___________ of the line. (right, write)
16. The royal ___________ left muddy ___________ on the floor. (prints, prince)
17. I ___________ you would like the ___________ puppy. (knew, new)
18. The boy ___________ ___________ grapes. (ate, eight)
Instructions: Fill in the homophones for each sentence. Bonus: Can you find the extra homophone pair in one of the sentences?
1. See the ship on the sea.
2. Where should you wear your coat?
3. Use flour to make flower-shaped cookies.
4. We can peek at the top of the mountain peak.
5. The knight rode his horse at night on the road.
*Extra pair* rode and road
6. The whole pie fell in the hole.
7. You’re going to like your new bike.
8. Father and son walk in the sun.
9. I ate a sundae on Sunday.
10. Would you like some more wood for the fire?
11. Do you know when the paper is due?
12. Mom sent me one cent.
13. She won one blue ribbon.
14. He told a tale about a lion’s tail.
15. Write your name to the right of the line.
16. The royal prince left muddy prints on the floor.
17. I knew you would like the new puppy.
18. The boy ate eight grapes.
SentencesAnswer Key
Ate
Flour
Pedal
Stare
Meat
Flu
Pair
HaRE
You
Cheep
Blew
Meet
Flew
Petal
Stair
Eight
flower
Cheap
Blue
HaIR
ewe
Pear
Male