Homophones

This section provides a guide to help you understand and use homophones correctly. Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. Although they sound identical, using the wrong homophone can confuse your reader or listener. Recognising and correctly using homophones is crucial for clear and accurate writing.

Here’s a guide to some of the most common homophones, with examples and helpful tips for remembering which one to use.

Witch/Which

• Witch refers to a magical person or being, often with supernatural powers.
• Which is used to ask a question or to specify one from a set of options.

Example sentences:

• Which witch is which?
• I saw a witch flying on her broomstick.

Tip: Remember that which is used to specify something, and witch is a magical character. Picture a witch with a pointed hat, helping you remember the spelling.

Too/Two/To

• Too means "also" or "excessively."
• Two is the number 2.
• To is a preposition that indicates direction, place, or position.

Example sentences:

• She had two owls.
• I am going to the park.
• I like you too.

Tip: Think of two as the number, with a "w" (which looks like a “double” number two). Too has "too many o's" when you want to say “also” or "excessively."

Sight/Site

• Sight refers to the ability to see or something that is seen.
• Site refers to a location or place.

Example sentences:

• The sight of the new site for the school made her smile.

Tip: Imagine you’re looking at a sight (something you see), and a site (a place) might be where you build or visit.

Through/Threw

• Through means to pass from one side to the other.
• Threw is the past tense of the verb “throw.”

Example sentences:

• He threw the ball through the window.

Tip: Threw is a past action, so think of throwing something and then being through with it.

Whether/Weather

• Whether refers to a choice or condition.
• Weather refers to the atmospheric conditions.

Example sentences:

• Whether or not we go surfing tomorrow depends on the weather.

Tip: Weather relates to the conditions outside, and whether is a choice—so think about the two "e"s in weather for conditions, and whether as deciding between options.

They’re/Their/There

• They’re is a contraction for "they are."
• Their is a possessive pronoun, showing ownership.
• There refers to a location or place.

Example sentences:

• Their house is over there.
• They’re leaving tomorrow.

Tip: Use they’re when you can say “they are.” Think of their as something that belongs to "them," and there relates to place—there is where they’re going.

Break/Brake

• Break means to damage something or to take a rest.
• Brake refers to a device used to stop a vehicle.

Example sentences:

• She had to break the biscuit and share it.
• He pulled the brake hard to stop the car.

Tip: Brake sounds like the "brake" on a car, so you’ll remember it for stopping. Break is about something breaking or being split.

Right/Write

• Right refers to correctness or direction.
• Write refers to forming words or letters.

Example sentences:

• You have the right to write whatever you want.

Tip: Right is associated with correctness and direction, while write involves putting pen to paper.

Waist/Waste

• Waist is the part of the body around which you wear a belt.
• Waste refers to something that is discarded or not used properly.

Example sentences:

• He tied the belt around his waist.
• The waste went in the bin.

Tip: Waist is part of your body, so think about the "w" for "where you wear your waistcoat." Waste refers to something that’s not used, so it’s "thrown away."

Where/Wear/Were

• Where refers to a place.
• Wear refers to clothing or accessories.
• Were is the past tense of the verb "to be."

Example sentences:

• Where will you wear that t-shirt?
• Were you at school today?

Tip: Wear is associated with clothing, so it has an "ea" like "gear." Where indicates a place, and were is something that happened in the past.

Coarse/Course

• Coarse means rough or harsh in texture.
• Course refers to a path or series of lessons.

Example sentences:

• The course was difficult.
• The cloth was coarse and uncomfortable.

Tip: Coarse sounds like "rough," while course relates to a class or pathway you follow.

Its/It’s

• Its is a possessive pronoun, meaning "belonging to it."
• It’s is a contraction for "it is" or "it has."

Example sentences:

• It’s Saturday.
• The dog scratched its ear.

Tip: If you can replace it’s with "it is" or "it has," use the apostrophe. Its is just for possession, like "belonging to it."

Stare/Stair

• Stare means to look at something intently.
• Stair refers to one of a set of steps.

Example sentences:

• She gave her sister a mean stare.
• She sat on the bottom stair.

Tip: Stare involves a long look, and stair is what you step on.

Weak/Week

• Weak means lacking strength or energy.
• Week refers to a period of seven days.

Example sentences:

• That week she felt quite weak.

Tip: Week is a time period, while weak describes something that isn’t strong. Think of weak as something that’s lacking energy.

So/Sew/Sow

• So is used to indicate reason or consequence.
• Sew means to stitch or join fabric.
• Sow refers to planting seeds.

Example sentences:

• The gardener had to sow more seeds that day.
• She was thirsty so she drank some water.
• He learned to sew a hem.

Tip: Sew is about stitching, sow is about planting, and so is used for a reason.

By/Bye/Buy

• By indicates proximity or agency.
• Bye is a term used for farewell.
• Buy means to purchase something.

Example sentences:

• She decided to buy a new phone.
• The phone was by the cup.
• As she left, she turned to say, ‘Bye.’

Tip: Buy involves purchasing, by indicates a place, and bye is a farewell.

Tail/Tale

• Tail is the part of an animal that extends from its back.
• Tale refers to a story.

Example sentences:

• His favourite tale was about the tail of a donkey.

Tip: Tail relates to animals, and tale is a story you tell.

Bored/Board

• Bored refers to feeling uninterested.
• Board refers to a flat surface or a group of people.

Example sentences:

• Everyone was bored by the writing on the board.

Tip: Think of bored as feeling tired or uninterested, and board as a flat surface, like a whiteboard.

Piece/Peace

• Piece refers to a portion of something.
• Peace refers to tranquility or calmness.

Example sentences:

• A sense of peace came over the room.
• There was only one piece of cake left.

Tip: Piece is something you can break off, while peace is a calm feeling.

Serial/Cereal

• Serial refers to something occurring in a sequence.
• Cereal is a type of food, typically eaten at breakfast.

Example sentences:

• She ate cereal for breakfast and watched her favourite serial on the television.

Tip: Cereal is breakfast food, while serial is a story that unfolds in parts.

Aloud/Allowed

• Aloud means spoken out loud.
• Allowed means permitted.

Example sentences:

• No one was allowed to speak aloud.

Tip: Aloud sounds like something you say, and allowed is something you can do if you're permitted.

Flour/Flower

• Flour is a powder used in baking.
• Flower is a blooming plant.

Example sentences:

• The flour was ground by stone.
• The flower smelled sweet.

Tip: Flour is something you bake with, and flower is something you smell and see in gardens.

Sent/Scent/Cent

• Sent is the past tense of "send."
• Scent refers to a smell.
• Cent is a unit of currency.

Example sentences:

• She sent them away with no more than a cent.
• The scent was strong.

Tip: Cent sounds like money, scent is something you smell, and sent is an action of giving.

In/Inn

• In refers to inside.
• Inn refers to a small hotel or lodging place.

Example sentences:

• They stayed at the inn.
• He was in love.

Tip: Think of inn as a place you stay overnight, and in as something inside.

Tips for Remembering Homophones

• Create mnemonics to help with tricky pairs.
• Use pictures to link meanings and spellings.
• Sound them out: Often, hearing the word in context will clarify which spelling to use.
• Practice: Write your own sentences with homophones to reinforce the rules.