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Homonyms, even when correctly pronounced, do indeed sound the same. In speech, they cannot be distinguished. But speech contains cadences and emphasis that is missing in writing. Thus, in writing, the differences between these words are important.
Because of different pronunciations and accents in different English-speaking nations, some of these are homophones only in the United States or even only in parts of the United States.
Some words are pronounced differently for different meanings. Thus, the word groups listed below are homonyms only for the indicated meanings.
There are many more homonyms than those listed below. These were chosen specifically because, in each entry of this list, I have actually seen one word used in a story where the other was meant. Here, each set is in alphabetical order.
ad: short for advertisement
add: opposite of subtract
aerial: antenna
ariel: an African gazelle
air: personal bearing or manner; mien
heir: someone who inherits
aisle: pathway
I'll: I will
isle: island
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Actually, allot and a lot are not a pair of homonyms because the latter is a phrase and not a word.*** End Right Sidebar ***
allot: distribute
a lot: much, many
allowed: permitted
aloud: not whispered
apatite: a crystaline form of chlorinated or fluoridated calcium phosphate
appetite: desire for food
ascent: climb, upward path
assent: consent, approval
bail: paid to get out of jail (a guaranty to return for trial)
bale: a compressed mass (e.g., cotton, hay)
ball: a round object used in games
bawl: cry
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To accept an unpleasant situation is to grin and bear it.We bare our souls and bear our tragedies.
The sentence "I couldn't bare the thought of not seeing Rhys again." should have been "I couldn't bear the thought of not seeing Rhys again."
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bare: uncover
bear: carry; endure stoically; a very large animal
berry: a fleshy fruit
Barry: a masculine name
beach: the shore of a lake or ocean
beech: a kind of tree
beat: hit
beet: a red vegetable
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Those involved in extreme office politics engage in back biting.*** Begin Right Sidebar ***
bight: a curve in a shoreline
bite: sink teeth into
byte: a group of computer bits (usually 8 bits, sometimes 4)
blew: past tense of blow
blue: a color
board: a flat piece of wood
bored: wearied from dullness or a lack of excitement
brake: device for slowing down
break: an interruption in a task; to destroy an object
buy: purchase
by: near
bye: good-bye; when a player in a tournament (e.g., in tennis) has no opponent and advances automatically to the next round
caller: someone who calls (e.g., a hog caller)
collar: something worn around the neck (e.g., a dog collar)
callused [of the skin]: thickened and hard
calloused [of feelings]: hardened and harsh
cant: a slope or tilt; secret jargon of thieves
can't: cannot
cent: $0.01, 1¢
scent: aroma
sent: past tense of send
censer: a container in which incense is burned
censor: a person who examines literary works, communications, etc, for the purpose of suppressing parts that may be objectionable on moral, political, military, or other grounds
sensor: something that senses (e.g., a motion detector)
cereal: a breakfast food made of grain
serial: a story published or a film shown in sequential episodes
chanty (often spelled chantey): a work song, often associated with sailors
chic: stylish, elegant (see also chick and chic under Malaprops)
sheik: the leader of an Arab village or family
chord: a line that intersects a circle (geometry); several notes sounded together (music)
cord: a thin rope; an electrical wire
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Far more frequently than seeing shoot when chute is meant, I very often see shute. Nevil Shute was a British author (real name Nevil Shute Norway). Shute has no other meaning than as a name.*** Begin Right Sidebar ***
chute: an inclined trough; a slide (e.g., for the luge)
[verb] shoot: fire a gun; [noun] a relatively long growth of a plant (e.g., bamboo shoot)
Cicily: a woman's name
Sicily: an Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea
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The expression for touring is sight-seeing because you are seeing whatever is worth being seen, not site-seeing (seeing the place).The expression is hind sight (looking back or behind), not hind site (a rear place?)
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cite: quote an authority
sight: the sense of seeing
site: place, location
clause: a section of a legal document [used in Santa Clause]
Claus: a man's name; derived from Nicholas or Nicholaus, thus Saint Nicholas became Santa Claus
coarse: containing large particles; rough; harsh; unrefined; having inferior quality
course: route; the track on which a race is run; a program of instruction; a part of a meal served at one time
council: a formally constituted group of decision makers (e.g., city council)
counsel: an attorney; the act of advising
crewel: a form of decorative needlework
cruel: mean
cue: the stick used on the cue ball in billiards; a signal (e.g., to an actor to say his lines, to an orchestra to begin playing)
queue: a line of people (e.g., waiting to enter a theater); a hanging braid of hair on the back the head; a prioritized stack of commands in a computer waiting for resources (e.g., the CPU) to execute
dear: precious
deer: an antlered animal
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The expression dyed in the wool refers to the practice of dying the wool before making the yarn that is then spun into fabric. This tends to make the color more permanent. Metaphorically, dyed in the wool applied to a person means the person has opinions or attitudes not subject to being altered.*** Begin Right Sidebar ***
died: no longer living
dyed: changed color through the use of a dye
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The phase meaning "delayed past its proper time" is over-due.While do is pronounced doo, due is sometimes pronounced dyoo, in which case their confusion is a malapropism.
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do: perform
due: arrive at a specified time
draftee: someone drafted (e.g., into the military)
drafty: subject to drafts of wind (e.g., a room with poorly fitted windows)
dual: a pair
duel: a fight with weapons (usually to the death); figuratively, any fight, even a fight of wits using words
faint: become unconscious; light, pale, barely discernable
feint: a deceptive maneuver in which a fake blow (e.g., boxing) or attack (e.g., war) is made to divert attention from a more serious blow or attack
fair: an exhibition of products
fare: the price of a transportation ticket (e.g., for a train or plane)
fazes: worries, upsets
phases: distinct stages, states, or manifestations
feat: an accomplishment
feet: more than one foot
fete: festival, elaborate party
fillies: young mares; slang for girls or young women
phillies (actually Phillies): professional baseball team from Philadelphia
finish: complete
Finnish: from Finland
fir: a tree in the genus Abies
fur: the fine hair on a mammal
forest: a wooded area
Forrest: a common family name
foul: nasty
fowl: birds often used for food (e.g., chickens, ducks, quail)
gene: a unit of genetic material
jean: pants made from a heavy denim
gilt; golden in color; the thin layer of gold or other material applied in gilding
guilt: remorseful awareness of having done something wrong; responsibility for the commission of crime
groan: moan
grown: reach mature growth
hay: long grass, clover, or alfalfa cut and dried for fodder
hey: an interjection for attracting attention or to express wonder
hear: what you do with your ears
here: in this place, not there
hole: cavity, opening
whole: entire, complete
its: belonging to it (like ours, his, and hers, a possessive without an apostrophe)
it's: it is
jam: press tightly between objects thereby preventing motion; a preserve of whole fruit, slightly crushed, boiled with sugar
jamb: one of the vertical sides of a doorway, window, or other opening
knew: understood thoroughly
new: not old
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The phrase is close knit, not close nit.Metaphorically, knit is used when referring to things or people being tied together while nit is used when referring to things that are very tiny.
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knit: a cloth made by interlocking a single continuous strand of thread or yarn; the process of making such a cloth
nit: the egg of a louse
know: understand thoroughly
no: not yes
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Describing something that is likely to be unacceptable: That would go over like a lead balloon. A "led balloon" is a balloon that someone leads.In the past: He led the way.
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lead: a metal
led: past tense of lead [leed]
lie: rest in or get into a horizontal position
lye: a highly concentrated, aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide; caustic soda
load: burden; a charge of ammunition; a quantity that fills a container
lode: a deposit of metallic ore
loan: give temporarily
lone: single
marquee: a rooflike shelter extending above an outer door and over a sidewalk or a terrace; a large tent or tentlike shelter with open sides (e.g., for temporary use in an outdoor party)
marquis: a title of nobility higher than a count or earl but lower than a duke
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Thus, aikido, karate, judo, and tae kwon do are martial arts.*** End Right Sidebar ***
marshal: an officer of the U.S. federal courts equivalent to a bailiff; in some nations, a military rank just below commander-in-chief
martial: of, pertaining to, or concerned with war or the military life
meat: the edible flesh of an animal
meet: encounter; a competitive athletic event
mete: measure; a boundary
mind: the aggregate of processes originating in or associated with the brain; to pay attention
mined: dug from a mine
miner: someone who works in a mine
minor: a youth not yet old enough to be an adult
moat: a body of water around a fort or castle, part of its outer defence
mote: a speck (e.g., a dust mote)
moose: a large animal of the deer family
mousse: a dessert made of a pudding whipped to include a large amount of air in very tiny bubbles
morays: a kind of eel
mores (moh RAYS): the moral standards of society
morning: the early part of the day, before noon
mourning: feeling sad over the death of a lover
muscles: the parts of the body that move the bones
mussels: molluscs (shellfish) in the same group (bivalve) as clams and oysters
one: integer between zero and two
won: past tense of win, triumphed
overseas: foreign location, literally across the ocean
oversees: supervises
palate: the roof of the mouth
palette: a board on which an artist mixes paints
pallet: a crude bed
pail: a small bucket
pale: lacking color
pass time: to idle away the day
pastime: an activity (which may be used to pass time)
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The euphemism for died is passed away, not past away.Someone who fainted, passed out.
To ignore someone may involve looking past him.
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passed: went by
past: not present or future; beyond
peace: not war
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With an accented e, piquéd [pee KAYD] does not belong in this group because it is not pronounced the same. This word refers to a woven-in ribbed pattern in fabric.Peaked in two syllables [PEE kid] means appears sickly. Since this is not pronounced the same as peeked or piqued, confusion with either of those two would be a malaprop.
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peaked: reached the top (the peak); pointed
peeked: looked (possibly surreptitiously)
piqued: provoked, stimulated
peer: equal
pier: wharf
plain: a flatland with few hills and no mountains; unadorned, not fancy
plane: an aeroplane (airplane); a tool for trimming or smoothing wood
pole: a long, slender object (often wood or metal)
poll: a survey of opinion
populous: having many people
populus: the people collectively
pore: a very tiny hole in the skin through which sweat oozes
pour: spill
profit: what you get when income exceeds expense
prophet: someone who, with divine inspiration, tells the future
quarts: plural of quart (two pints, 1/4 gallon)
quartz: a crystalline form of silica
rack: a framework on which items can be placed or from which they can be hung
wrack: destruction, wreckage; seaweed cast ashore
rain: from clouds to puddles on the ground
reign: rule royally
rein: strap or thong for controlling a horse; [loosely] any kind of control
rancor: malice, spitefulness
ranker [British]: a commissioned officer who rose from the ranks
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The expression is rapt attention (undivided attention), not wrapped attention.*** End Right Sidebar ***
rapped: to strike with a quick, light blow (e.g., on a door with the nuckles of a clenched fist)
rapt: engrossed, deeply engaged
wrapped: covered with wrapping paper
real: true; existing rather than imaginary; genuine
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Having trouble comprehending an event causes the mind to reel (not real).*** End Right Sidebar ***
reel: a rotatory device attached to a fishing rod for winding up or letting out the line; sway or rock from a blow, shock, dizziness, intoxication, etc.; stagger
rec: slang for recreation
wreck: destroy, something that has been destroyed
reek: stink
wreak: inflict
retch: vomit
wretch: a person with a miserable personality
right: correct; not left; a fundamental, legal protection under rules of justice
rite: a religious ceremony
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An expense subtracted from income (especially for tax purposes) is a write off.*** End Right Sidebar ***
wright: someone who makes things (e.g., a wheelwright); the making of something (e.g., to wright iron into wrought iron furniture)
write: put words or numbers on paper (including in a book of accounts)
road: street, avenue
rode: drove, traveled by vehicle or on an animal
role: the part of a character played by an actor in a play; a function or purpose taken on by a person (sometimes written rôle)
roll: to move by turning (e.g., a wheel or ball); to form into a ball or cylinder; a small, individually prepared bread
roomer: boarder, someone who rents a room
rumor: unconfirmed gossip
rote: a memorizing process using repetition, often without a full understanding of what is memorized
wrote: past tense of wrote
rough: not smooth, coarse
ruff: a pleated, starched collar popular in the 16th century
rye: a grain
wry: askew, twisted to one side
salt-peter: (vulgar slang) a penis made of salt
saltpeter (without a hyphen): potassium nitrate, KNO3
scene: the place and surroundings of any event, real or imaginary
seen: past participle of see
scull: a small rowboat, an oar used in such a boat; [Scottish] a large, shallow wicker basket
skull: the bony framework of the head
seamed: sewed a seam in a garment
seemed: appeared
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The expression is sowing wild oats, not sewing wild oats.As ye sow, so shall ye reap.
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sew: stitch clothing
sow: plant seeds by broadcasting them onto the ground
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The slang for a sure winner or easy victory is shoo-in, not shoe in. However, shoo-in does not seem to be derived from shoo.*** End Right Sidebar ***
shoe: protection for your foot while walking
shoo: drive or frighten away
shone: did shine
shown: did show
sink: a basin with water faucets and a drain, used for washing
synch: slang for synchronized
slew
slough
See these under Malaprops.
soar: fly high
sore: bruised
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Thinking thoroughly about something that affects yourself involves soul searching.*** Begin Right Sidebar ***
sole: one and only; the bottom of a shoe
soul: what is in us that God gave us to make humans unique
soar: fly high
sore: painful wound
son: male child
sun: a star, the star around which the earth revolves
staid: sedate, modest
stayed: remained, did not leave
stairs: a series of steps for going from one level to another in a building
stares: looks intensely (at something)
stationary: standing still
stationery: paper, envelopes, etc.
steal: illegally take something without the owner's permission
steel: an alloy of iron and carbon (sometimes with other metals)
straight: not bent
strait: a relatively narrow waterway connecting two bodies of water
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Someone who spreads gossip about misdeeds is a tattle tale.*** End Right Sidebar ***
tail: rear appendage
taught: past tense of teach
taut: tight
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their, there, they'reThe distinction between these is taught at a very early age in school, but some just do not get it.
There're means there are, not they are. Since this is difficult to pronounce — ther'r — this contraction is rare in speech and thus would not be seen in written dialogue.
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their: belonging to them
there: in that place, not here
they're: they are
threw: [verb] tossed, flung, pitched
through: in one end and out the other
throes: pains, painfully intense emotions
throws: tosses, flings, pitches
throne: the king's chair
thrown: [adjective] tossed, flung, pitched
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to, too, twoWhy is it so hard to learn these? Why do I see a short story on the Internet that has many, many sentences such as: "I didn't know what I could do too help but maybe I could." The author who wrote this repeatedly uses too where the correct word is to, in more than one story. On the other hand, the same author wrote: "You're holding me to tight." Here, the correct word was too. Also, he frequently uses your when he means you're. This cannot be a case of mere carelessness. This is illiteracy. This is very distracting and significantly reduces the enjoyment I would get from an otherwise good story.
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to: not from
too: also, very
two: 2
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toeThe phrase meaning to adhere to rules is toe the line, which refers to how runners line up at the starting line with the toes of their running shoes just behind the line, in accord with the rules of track and field.
The phrase meaning to walk quietly is tip toe, which refers to walking on the toes so that the heels of your shoes don't make any noise by contacting the floor.
When a person is dragged along — literally or figuratively — by someone else, that person is in tow.
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toe: one of those little things at the end of your foot
tow: what a tow truck does to a disabled car
told; narrated, made known (by telling)
tolled: rang (e.g., a large bell)
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When an action causes a loss, it takes its toll.*** End Right Sidebar ***
tole: enameled or lacquered metalware (used to make decorative houseware)
toll: a tax, duty, or fee, as for services or use of facilities; the extent of loss or damage resulting from some disaster
too-too: very, very
tutu: a short, frilly skirt worn by ballerinas
toolies: (??) people who collect tools
tules: marshland, swamp (so called because of the prevalance of tule bullrushes); slang for areas far from urbanization
tough: (of a person) having great physical endurance; (of a material) able to resist breaking when stretched or bent
tuff: a volcanic rock
vain; conceited; unsuccessful (tried in vain means tried unsuccessfully)
vane: blade (e.g., in a windmill)
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The phrase indicating a change of subject is in a different vein.*** End Right Sidebar ***
vein: blood vessel that carries blood to the heart (as compared with artery, which carries blood from the heart); a stratum of ore, coal, etc; a streak of a different color marking marble or wood; a sustained characteristic (All through the interminable narrative there ran a vein of impressive earnestness., Mark Twain)
vial: a small bottle
vile: wicked
vice: a sinful habit
vise: a device for clamping material to be worked upon
waist: the relatively narrow part of the body between the chest and the hips
waste: trash
warn: alert, put on guard, caution
worn: part participle of wear; threadbare, exhausted; used up
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ware, wear, whereThe phrase is worse for wear (reflecting the first meaning of wear), not worse for where.
Garments worn under outer clothes are underwear (reflecting the second (noun) meaning of wear), not underware.
On the other hand, construction tools are hardware; computer programs are software; and eating utensils are silverware (even if they are not made of silver). They are goods and not items that are worn as garments.
(Also see where, were, we're and were, wear under Malaprops.)
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ware: an item for sale
wear: gradual deterioration from use; garments (noun) or to cover the body with garments (verb)
where: in what place?
weak: not strong
week: 7 days
weather: rain or shine, fog or clear, hot or cold
whether: if it be the case
whine: a complaint expressed in a really irritating voice
wine: a beverage invented by God
whoa: halt!
woe: emotional pain
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See Troubles with Apostrophes and The Pronoun Problem.*** End Right Sidebar ***
who's: who is
whose: belonging to who
wont: habit
won't: will not
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"You're raising your voice in a hymn of yore." That is, "You are raising the voice belonging to you in an ancient hymn." (Not "Your raising you're voice … ") Once I actually saw you'r'e.See Troubles with Apostrophes and The Pronoun Problem.
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yore: time long ago
your: belonging to you
you're: you are
Last updated 15 August 2020
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