Homophones List in EnglishPin

Homophones: Big List of 180 Homophones with Examples

Homophones List! A useful list of homophones in English. Learn examples of homophones – confusing words that sound the same but have different meanings, with ESL infographics.

Homophones List

Homophones definition: In the English language, homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings.

There are a lot of homophones in English. Below is a commonly confused homophones list with example sentences for ESL teachers and English students.

List of Homophones with Examples.

ACCEPT vs EXCEPT

  • This restaurant does not accept checks.
  • This shop is open all days except Monday.

COMPLIMENT vs COMPLEMENT

  • Your friend gave me a nice compliment yesterday.
  • The dressing is an expected complement of salad.

AFFECT vs EFFECT

  • The cold weather has really affected her health.
  • Did the noise have an effect on your sleep?

ELICIT vs ILLICIT

  • They were able to elicit the support of the public.
  • Illicit diamond exports are said to be worth over $200 million.

ITS vs IT’S

  • A car is no good without its wheels.
  • “Do you know where my purse is?” – “It’s on the table”.

PRINCIPAL vs PRINCIPLE

  • The principal is a very busy woman.
  • This principle applies to all kinds of selling.

STATIONARY vs STATIONERY

  • The traffic got slower and slower until it was stationary.
  • In order to compose my letter, I will need some stationery.

THEN vs THAN

  • Finish your homework and then we will go out for dinner.
  • It’s warmer in Florida than in North Dakota.

THERE THEIR THEY’RE

  • There will be a party tomorrow.
  • This is their room and that is ours.
  • If they’re ready, we can go.

THREW vs THROUGH

  • He threw the ball to me, and I caught it.
  • The sunlight coming through the window woke me up.

TO TOO TWO

  • She stood up and walked to the window.
  • I ate too quickly and got hiccoughs.
  • There is a gulf between the two cities.

YOUR vs YOU’RE

  • You need to readjust your attitude.
  • You’re the best friend I have ever had.

BORN vs BORNE

  • James was born to be a great composer.
  • The sound of music was borne along on the wind.

BREAK vs BRAKE

  • Please don’t touch the vase or else it will break.
  • She pressed her foot down sharply on the brake pedal.

PLAIN vs PLANE

  • The problem is quite plain to us.
  • He went to New York by plane.

WHOSE vs WHO’S

  • She’s an artist whose work I really admire.
  • This is my brother, who’s an accountant.

BARE vs BEAR

  • Don’t walk around outside in your bare feet.
  • I can’t bear having cats in the house.

WEATHER vs WHETHER

  • Did you have good weather on your trip?
  • Maurice asked me whether I needed any help.

PAST vs PASSED

  • She’s very cagey about her past life.
  • My examination was a cinch and I passed easily.

DISCREET vs DISCRETE

  • He is very discreet in giving his opinions.
  • The pizza came as eight discrete slices.

CAPITAL vs CAPITOL

  • Washington is the capital of the United States.
  • They marched in procession to the capitol building.

LED vs LEAD

  • The receptionist led the way to the boardroom.
  • The road will lead you back to the garden.

COUNCIL vs COUNSEL

  • Members of the council are elected annually.
  • I would counsel you to say nothing about the affair.

CUE vs QUEUE

  • They all took their cue from their leader.
  • We stood in a queue for half an hour.

APART vs A PART

  • Their birthdays are only three days apart.
  • I’m happy to have been a part of your life.

MAYBE vs MAY BE

  • Maybe you’ll have better luck next time.
  • They may be in for some bad weather.

THYME vs TIME

  • I saw saxifrages and wild thyme and others that were unfamiliar to me.
  • There is no time like the present.

ALTOGETHER vs ALL TOGETHER

  • I don’t altogether agree with you.
  • Can you put your books all together in this box?

ADVICE vs ADVISE

  • I really need to get some basic financial advice.
  • I strongly advise you not to do this.

PREMIER vs PREMIERE

  • He is doing a second year as premier.
  • Lots of celebrities were at the film premiere.

AID vs AIDE

  • Vitamin D is necessary to aid the absorption of calcium from food.
  • The aide reported to Daley that he was a perfect choice.

LETS vs LET’S

  • Max lets the door swing open.
  • Let’s all get together over Christmas.

PAIR vs PEAR

  • This pair of shoes fit me well.
  • The pear is a delicious fruit and I like it very much.

PEACE vs PIECE

  • Why can’t they live together in peace?
  • Can you manage another piece of cake?

PROFIT vs PROPHET

  • Our daily profit is usually around $500.
  • Mohammed is the prophet of the Muslims.

SAUCE vs SOURCE

  • Pour the sauce over the pasta and serve immediately.
  • Your local library will be a useful source of information.

REAL vs REEL

  • Don’t call me unless it is a real emergency.
  • The baby raveled the reel of thread up.

SIGHT vs SITE

  • It was love at first sight.
  • I picked a sheltered site for the tent.

RIGHT vs WRITE

  • None of the answers are right.
  • She plans to write her memoirs.

AISLE vs ISLE

  • You can check out at aisle eight.
  • He is from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.

SHORE vs SURE

  • He was standing on the shore.
  • I’m sure you can do an excellent job next time.

SOLE vs SOUL

  • I’ve got a hole in the sole of my shoe.
  • Punctuality is the soul of business.

FOUR vs FOR

  • This lesson is divided into four units.
  • Don’t climb a tree to look for fish.

EIGHT vs ATE

  • I work eight hours a day.
  • She ate a small lunch before the meeting.

CEREAL vs SERIAL

  • I have a bowl of cereal every morning.
  • Each computer has a serial number on it.

MEAT vs MEET

  • She cut the meat into small pieces.
  • If there is if, I hope I don’t meet you.

MAIZE vs MAZE

  • The villagers grow coffee and maize to sell in the market.
  • I was led through a maze of corridors.

SON vs SUN

  • Their son will start college in September.
  • The sun disappeared behind heavy clouds.

HAIR vs HARE

  • His black hair gleamed in the sun.
  • The hare crouches low on the ground.

STEAL vs STEEL

  • He tried to strangle a border policeman and steal his gun.
  • Guitar strings nowadays are made from steel or nylon.

CENT vs SCENT

  • I am sure that he will pay back every cent he owes you.
  • The scent of the flowers was wafted to us by the breeze.

HEAL vs HEEL

  • This kind of ointment will heal the scald.
  • I put a moleskin patch on my heel.

ACCEDE vs EXCEED

  • Will you accede to her request?
  • Working hours must not exceed 42 hours a week.

ADDITION vs EDITION

  • Ann will be a very useful addition to our team.
  • The first edition was published in 1998.

SWEET vs SUITE

  • Too much sweet food is bad for your teeth.
  • She has a suite of rooms in the hotel.

ALL READY vs ALREADY

  • I was all ready to leave when the phone rang.
  • She had already gone when I arrived.

GAGE vs GAUGE

  • What gage of wire do you require?
  • The petrol gauge is still on full.

NONE vs NUN

  • None of us was going to the party.
  • I decide to become a nun.

MARRY vs MERRY

  • I am going to marry John.
  • I wish you a Merry Christmas.

FARE vs FAIR

  • When do they start paying full fare?
  • Fair words will not fill the belly.

KNOW vs NO

  • Let me know when they come.
  • No man can do two things at once.

DEER vs DEAR

  • The hunter hit at a deer with his gun.
  • She was a very dear friend.

BEER vs BIER

  • Where can I buy some beer?
  • He began to wail like a man at a bier.

WAIT vs WEIGHT

  • Let’s wait until the rain stops.
  • It is about 76 kilos in weight.

BEET vs BEAT

  • The demonstration plant is currently using beet sugar.
  • I will love you with every beat of my heart.

LEEK vs LEAK

  • Do you also like to eat leek?
  • The boat had a small leak.

WEAR vs WHERE

  • wear blue-tinted glasses on sunny days.
  • Where are you going on your honeymoon?

BELL vs BELLE

  • The bell has rung for a long time.
  • You were the belle of the ball.

CELL vs SELL

  • He was left to sober up in a police cell.
  • They sell all kinds of things.

SOME vs SUM

  •  I have some work to do this evening.
  • He donated a large sum of money to the orphanage.

BERRY vs BURY

  • This kind of jam is made of berry.
  • She had learned to bury her feelings.

KNIGHT vs NIGHT

  • He was made an honorary knight.
  • Now I shall go to sleep. Good night.

VARY vs VERY

  • Test scores vary from school to school.
  • I’m very optimistic about our chances of success.

I vs EYE

  • I don’ t want to go home in the dark.
  • The eye is the organ of sight.

FAIRY vs FERRY

  • He likes to listen to fairy stories.
  • He went over the river by ferry boat.

WEAK vs WEEK

  • She is still weak after her illness.
  • We’re having an oral test this week.

SCENE vs SEEN

  • I can hardly imagine such a scene.
  • Karen had seldom seen him so angry.

BUY BY BYE

  • What do you want to buy?
  • She sent the letter by airmail.
  • Bye, see you tomorrow.

FLOUR vs FLOWER

  • He added some flour to thicken the soup.
  • A single flower does not make a spring.

WE’LL vs WHEEL

  • We’ll go there by air.
  • He spun the wheel of his bicycle.

SINK vs SYNCH

  • She filled the sink with hot water.
  • Do you want to synch to protected actuals?

TALE vs TAIL

  • Is there anyone who can tell a fairy tale?
  • Don’t toy with the cat’s tail.

SLAY vs SLEIGH

  • Those old movies still slay me!
  • They traveled across the snow in a sleigh.

STEAK vs STAKE

  • The main dish is steak.
  • He set the stake in the ground.

VEIN vs VAIN

  • The team has hit a rich vein of form recently.
  • She’s just a vain, foolish woman.

RED vs READ

  • She was wearing a red hat.
  • She listened closely while he read the letter.

LESSEN vs LESSON

  • We invest broadly to lessen the risk.
  • He illustrates the lesson with a picture.

TROOP vs TROUPE

  • The troop trotted the hills and valleys.
  • The troupe produced a new play last night.

TUBA vs TUBER

  • He taught himself to play the tuba.
  • The potato is a tuber plant.

STALK vs STORK

  • Two flowers usually develop on each stalk.
  • The stork is starting to move.

CHECK vs CZECH

  • Let me check your blood pressure.
  • The River Elbe flows through the Czech Republic.

DRAFT vs DRAUGHT

  • I read the first draft and thought it was very good.
  • This beer is not available on draught.

CLIQUE vs CLICK

  • Our golf club is run by a very unfriendly clique.
  • Click on the icon to open the file.

COLONEL vs KERNEL

  • The colonel paraded his troops.
  • The nutshell includes the kernel.

ROOMER vs RUMOR

  • So I thought maybe I’d take in a roomer.
  • The rumor rocked the whole city.

ROLE vs ROLL

  • Money played an important role in his life.
  • She was chomping on a bread roll.

BLUE vs BLEW

  • The sky was blue and clean.
  • A cold wind blew from the northwest.

FATHER vs FARTHER

  • Father needs a new electronic shaver.
  • How much farther is it to the airport?

SEA vs SEE

  • She never swims in the sea.
  • Could you come and see me tomorrow?

GRATE vs GREAT

  • There were red coals in the grate.
  • I have a great affection for New York.

HEAR vs HERE

  • I can hear voices through the wall.
  • Is there a post office near here?

BAND vs BANNED

  • She’s a singer with a band.
  • Smoking is banned in the building.

BEAN vs BEEN

  • Add bean sprouts and cook another half minute.
  • He’s been working hard all day.

CORAL vs CHORAL

  • She was wearing a coral necklace.
  • The third and final section of the evening was choral.

WHOLE vs HOLE

  • I spent the whole day cleaning.
  • There was a huge hole in the road.

TIDE vs TIED

  • These rocks are awash at high tide.
  • He tied a scarf around his neck.

ROOT vs ROUTE

  • We have to get to the root of the problem.
  • What’s the best route to Cambridge?

WALL vs WAUL

  • He fixed a picture to the wall.
  • Waul, what a tragic world!

ALOUD vs ALLOWED

  • He read his sister’s letter aloud.
  • I allowed the children to dip their bread into the soup.

PALATE vs PALLET

  • The new flavor pleased his palate.
  • She trips and falls down on to the pallet.

HOUR vs OUR

  • He left the house over an hour ago.
  • He is our coach in football.

NIECE vs NICE

  • He has a pretty niece.
  • The girl bought a nice handbag.

BARON vs BARREN

  • The Baron lived in a castle.
  • The land is barren on the east coast.

CORE vs CORPS

  • He’s a politician to the core.
  • The transport corps is ancillary to the infantry.

BREAD vs BRED

  • I had three pieces of bread for breakfast this morning.
  • Ian was born and bred in Gloucester.

WINE vs WHINE

  • The wine has a peculiar taste.
  • She spoke with a whine.

IDLE vs IDOL

  • She’s a great one for idle gossip.
  • He has been my idol since I was a child.

WOOD vs WOULD

  • Wood does not sink in water.
  • Would you mind if I went with you?

WHICH vs WITCH

  • Which one do you like better?
  • The witch disappeared in a puff of smoke.

HI vs HIGH

  • Hi, Kelly. How are you?
  • The standard of her work is high.

LONE vs LOAN

  • He was shot by a lone gunman.
  • I had to take out a loan to buy my car.

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eli
eli
3 years ago

this is the best

boss
boss
2 years ago
Reply to  eli

whatever

Cynthia
Cynthia
2 years ago

This is a useful list for my students. Thank You.

Gabrielle Yates
Gabrielle Yates
1 year ago

Cool

Brandis Black
Brandis Black
1 year ago

Great list, the only words I didn’t see were Assimilate, A simulate, and Assimulate but that might be because they might sound a wee bit different? Thank you have a good day.

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