As sad as it may sound I collect words that sound the same but have different meanings.
These strange, some would say annoying, words are called homophones. Anyway, I'm not sure
what use this list is but I have included it here anyway - perhaps it will be of use to
people learning English. The words are organized alphabetically (well the two way homophones are)
first in the set and then by the first word in the set.
Four Way HomoPhones
| First Variation |
Second Variation |
Third Variation |
Forth Variation |
Notes |
| Right |
Write |
Wright |
Rite |
Not completely sure that the wright is a word. It's in dictionary.com though as a noun
so it here it is. |
Three Way Homophones
| First Variation |
Second Variation |
Third Variation |
Notes |
| Accent |
Ascent |
Assent |
|
| Are |
Hour |
Our |
I don't have a problem with this one some people seem to confuse "Are" and "Our".
I have seen these two words confused on a sign in a shop window which read "Try are lovely cakes". |
| Aye (also ay) |
Eye |
I |
|
| Buy |
By |
Bye |
|
| Cite |
Sight |
Site |
|
| Ewe (female sheep) |
You |
Yew |
|
| For |
Fore |
Four |
|
| Heard |
Herd |
Hurd |
Not sure hurd counts as it is the name of an operating system kernel. |
| There |
Their |
They're |
Not sure this counts as they're is a contraction of they are but
it is listed at dictionary.com. |
| To |
Too |
Two |
How ironic that there are three words that sound like two. |
| Weather |
Wether |
Whether |
The last one is a common mis-spelling of the first and almost certainly not what the
author meant to write unless they are talking about castrated rams. |
Two Way Homophones
| First Variation |
Second Variation |
Notes |
| Ad |
Add |
I don't think this really counts as ad is an abbreviation for advertisement. |
| Adherence |
Adherents |
|
| Aid |
Aide |
|
| Ail |
Ale |
|
| Allowed |
Aloud |
|
| All |
Awl (a sharp pointed tool) |
|
| Allot |
A Lot (or Alot) |
This one really shouldn't be in the list but the two words "A Lot" are indistinguishable from
"Allot" and the "Alot" mistake is so common I couldn't leave it out. If you need a way of remembering
that "a lot" is two words just ask for "alittle" help. |
| Allar |
Alter |
|
| Ante- |
Anti- |
While prefixes aren't words in their own right these two, that have very different meaning, can easily
be confused. Ante- means before, Anti- means against. |
| Antecedence |
Antecedents |
|
| Arc |
Ark |
|
| Assistance |
Assistants |
|
| Ate |
Eight |
|
| Attendance |
Attendants |
|
| Bail |
Bale |
|
| Bare |
Bear |
|
| Base |
Bass |
|
| Bases |
Basis |
|
| Be |
Bee |
|
| Beat |
Beet |
|
| Berry |
Bury |
|
| Berth |
Birth |
|
| Billed |
Build |
|
| Blew |
Blue |
|
| Bloc |
Block |
|
| Bored |
Board |
|
| Bolder |
Boulder |
|
| Born |
Borne |
|
| Boy |
Bouy |
|
| Brake |
Break |
|
| Bread |
Bred |
|
| Bridal |
Bridle |
|
| Broach |
Brooch |
|
| Bouillon |
Bullion |
|
| Cache |
Cash |
|
| Call |
Cool |
I know that strictly speaking these two sound different but the way
I say them they sound identical. This has caused much ammusement with
dictation software. |
| Callous |
Callus |
|
| Canvas |
Canvass |
|
| Cede |
Seed |
|
| Ceiling |
Sealing |
|
| Cell |
Sell |
|
| Cellar |
Seller |
|
| Cereal |
Serial |
|
| Cession |
Session |
|
| Chews |
Choose |
|
| Chord |
Cord |
|
| Chute |
Shoot |
|
| Click |
Clique |
This is one of the tricky ones as clique has two forms of pronunciation. The first sounds
nothing like click more like "cleek" the second sounds just like click. Personally I detest the
second and wish it would be abandond but you can't have everything. |
| Creak |
Creek |
|
| Flew |
Flu |
|
| Hi |
High |
|
| Knight |
Night |
I will never understand why the K is silent. |
| Knot |
Not |
|
| Know |
No |
|
| Knows |
Nose |
|
| Made |
Maid |
|
| Missed |
Mist |
These two aren't always pronounced identically but they are certainly very similar. |
| One |
Won |
|
| Oar |
Or |
|
| Ode |
Owed |
These can often sound very similar but not always. Some people pronounce the
w in owed more than others. |
| Paw |
Pour |
|
| Plain |
Plane |
|
| Pray |
Prey |
|
| Read |
Reed |
|
| Review |
Revue |
|
| Scent |
Sent |
Could possibly also have cent making this a three way homophone but I don't think
it can be classed as a word. |
| Sea |
See |
|
| Sew |
So |
|
| Shore |
Sure |
This one is somewhat accent dependent. With some accents these two are identical with others
the word sure almost aquires an a on the end. |
| Straight |
Strait |
Imagine the confusion a straight strait could cause. |
| Tare |
Tear |
|
| Threw |
Through |
|
| Toe |
Tow |
|
| Told |
Tolled |
|
| Wait |
Weight |
|
| Waist |
Waste |
|
| Way |
Weigh |
|