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In English grammar, homophones refer to when two (or more) words have the same sound when spoken aloud, even though they have different meanings or spellings.
Homophones are commonly confused in writing, as the different spelling can be used in the wrong context.
Using the wrong spelling of a word can cause confusion for readers. To improve your writing, read this guide with examples of common homophones to increase your confidence in English grammar. Then, review your grammar and spelling for errors with the Originality.ai Grammar Checker.
Homophones can be broken into smaller categories: homonyms, homographs, and heterographs.
Read more about each type of homophone below or check out the chart for a quick reference:
Keep in mind that in some cases, homonyms can also be homographs and homonyms can also be heterographs.
Homonyms describe words that share the same spelling or sound similar but have different definitions or meanings.
Examples of homonyms:
Homographs describe words that share the same spelling but have a different pronunciation or different meaning.
Examples of homographs include:
In some cases, homonyms may also be homographs. For instance, in the previous example live (being alive) and live (something happening in real-time) are homonyms and homographs.
The third type of homophone is a heterograph, which describes words with different spellings and meanings that sound the same.
Examples of heterographs include:
Similar to the homographs, some heterographs can also be homonyms. For instance, going back to our homonym examples, knew (to know past tense) and new (not old), are both homonyms and heterographs.
Let’s review some of the homophones that are most often confused when writing.
Accept vs. except is a common source of confusion. “Accept” is a verb that refers to when someone receives something (like an item) voluntarily. It can also refer to giving a person admittance (such as a student applying to a school).
Then, “except” may be a preposition, verb, or conjunction. Typically it refers to excluding something or someone.
Its and it’s are easy to confuse with each other because they sound the same and their spelling is very similar.
“Its” is a possessive determiner, which demonstrates belonging.
Then, “it’s” is a contraction; the apostrophe replaces the letter ‘i’ in is or the ‘ha’ in has. It means “it is” or “it has.”
Like it’s vs. its, your and you’re sound very similar and also have very close spelling (just slightly different).
“Your” is a possessive determiner; it means that a person, thing, or group belongs to or is related to a particular person.
Then, “you’re” is a contraction, once again with an apostrophe replacing a letter, this time the ‘a’ in are; it means “you are.”
“They’re” (like it’s and you’re) is a contraction; it means “they are.”
Then, “their” is a possessive determiner, it refers to belonging or relating to something or someone.
“There” is an adverb, that describes a location or place where someone or something is.
“Right” is an adjective; it is a word that describes when a situation or something is true.
“Right” (same spelling as the adjective) is an adverb; it refers to a direction.
“Write” is a verb. It refers to the action of putting letters, words, or numbers on a page.
Homophones are easy to mistake and a common source of confusion in grammar because they sound so similar.
Taking the time to learn what homophones are and their different types (homonyms, homographs, and heterographs) is key to understanding what each word means. That way, you can use them correctly and avoid common grammar errors.
Use a dictionary or grammar checker to help you determine the correct word in the context of your writing.
Learn more about grammar in our resources:
