Homophones and Homographs

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 bore - to drill

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
by - originating from,BR. 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 plane - 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