Homophones are words that sound identical but their spelling and meaning is different. In this summary, you will learn the difference between some of the most common homophones through examples.

Differences between homophones

Here are some examples of homophones and their respective meanings:

Homophones	Examples
witch / which	A scary *witch* lives in the forest. *Which* shirt do you prefer: black or blue?
two / to / too	I have *two* sisters. You need to leave now! I prefer chocolate ice cream *too*.
through / threw	She entered through* the window.* My friend threw* the ball over the fence.*
they're / there / their	*They're* eating pizza for dinner. My mother used to live *there. Their* dog is so cute.
brake / break	I don't know where the brake pedal is. He was so mad he wanted to break* something.*
write / right	She's young. She doesn't know how to write. Is A the right* answer?*
waste / waist	You shouldn't waste* food.* She has such a tiny waist.
were / where / wear	They were best friends. Where do you live? I think I'm going to wear* a dress.*
it's / its	It's Friday. The baby threw its* food on the floor.*
buy / by / bye	I need to buy* a new computer.* I wish I had a house by the river. Bye! See you next week.
peace / piece	The world needs peace. Do you want a piece* of cake?*
allowed / aloud	You are not allowed* to speak!* Please, read the text aloud.
cent / scent / sent	This trip was worth every cent. These candles don't have any scent. My brother sent* you a letter.*
inn / in	We ate dinner at the *inn. My birthday is* in January.

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Basics

Homophones and near homophones

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FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

What are some of the most common homophones?

Some of the most common homophones are: witch/which, two/to/too, they're/their/there, it's/its and more.

What are homophones?

Homophones are words that sound identical but their spelling and meaning is different.

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Summary

Commonly confused homophones and their meanings

In a nutshell

Homophones are words that sound identical but their spelling and meaning is different. In this summary, you will learn the difference between some of the most common homophones through examples.

Differences between homophones

Here are some examples of homophones and their respective meanings:

Homophones	Examples
witch / which	A scary *witch* lives in the forest. *Which* shirt do you prefer: black or blue?
two / to / too	I have *two* sisters. You need to leave now! I prefer chocolate ice cream *too*.
through / threw	She entered through* the window.* My friend threw* the ball over the fence.*
they're / there / their	*They're* eating pizza for dinner. My mother used to live *there. Their* dog is so cute.
brake / break	I don't know where the brake pedal is. He was so mad he wanted to break* something.*
write / right	She's young. She doesn't know how to write. Is A the right* answer?*
waste / waist	You shouldn't waste* food.* She has such a tiny waist.
were / where / wear	They were best friends. Where do you live? I think I'm going to wear* a dress.*
it's / its	It's Friday. The baby threw its* food on the floor.*
buy / by / bye	I need to buy* a new computer.* I wish I had a house by the river. Bye! See you next week.
peace / piece	The world needs peace. Do you want a piece* of cake?*
allowed / aloud	You are not allowed* to speak!* Please, read the text aloud.
cent / scent / sent	This trip was worth every cent. These candles don't have any scent. My brother sent* you a letter.*
inn / in	We ate dinner at the *inn. My birthday is* in January.

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FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

What are some of the most common homophones?

Some of the most common homophones are: witch/which, two/to/too, they're/their/there, it's/its and more.

What are homophones?

Homophones are words that sound identical but their spelling and meaning is different.

Commonly confused homophones and their meanings

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Summary

Commonly confused homophones and their meanings

​​In a nutshell

Differences between homophones

Homophones

​​Examples

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What are some of the most common homophones?

What are homophones?

Commonly confused homophones and their meanings

Videos

Summary

Exercises

Basics

Select Lesson

Exam Board

Spoken English

Grammar and punctuation

Writing skills

Writing process

Reading

Analysing non fiction

Analysing fiction

Poetry

Modern texts

19th century prose

Shakespeare

Explainer Video

Summary

Commonly confused homophones and their meanings

​​In a nutshell

Differences between homophones

Homophones

​​Examples

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Exercises

Easy

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Hard

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Learning Goals

FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

What are some of the most common homophones?

What are homophones?

In a nutshell

Examples

In a nutshell

Examples