Homophones: Same pronunciation, different meaning 

What are Homophones? 

Homophones are words that sound the same when spoken, but have different spellings and different meanings. 

They’re often confusing for learners, but once you get the hang of them, they can be quite fun to spot and use correctly! 

A homophone has: 

• A different spelling 
• A different meaning  
• The same sound when spoken  

For example: 

I went to the sea to see my friend. 

The words “sea” and “see” have the same pronunciation, but different meanings and spellings. 

Common Homophone Examples 

Buy and By 

• Buy her a present for her birthday. 
• She lives by a park. 

Hole and Whole 

• There’s a hole in my trousers. 
• I read the whole book in one day. 

Write/Right 

• Write your name on top of the test paper. 
• I couldn’t remember the right answer. 

Note: Don’t get homophones confused with homonyms andhomographs! 

What are Homonyms? 

Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and pronunciation but may have different meanings, depending on context. 

Book 

• I’m reading a good book at the moment.  
• We should book our train tickets before the price goes up. 

Show 

• Please show Sarah to her seat.  
• Did you enjoy the magic show? 

What are Homographs? 

Homonyms are words that have the same spelling, but may have different pronunciation and/or meanings, depending on context. 

Close 

• We close at 11 o’clock. 
• I’m so close to completing my assignment. 

Bow 

• He’s skilled with a bow and arrow.  
• Go on and take a bow. 

Let’s recap 

• Homophones sound the same, but look different. 
• Homonyms look and sound the same, but mean different things. 
• Homographs: spelled the same, but have different sounds and meanings. 

Remember: Always use context to figure out which word is correct!