Language is a fascinating and complex tool for communication. In English, one intriguing aspect is the existence of homophones. Homophones are words that sound alike but have different meanings and, often, different spellings. Understanding and mastering homophones is essential for effective communication, especially in a language as nuanced as English. This comprehensive guide lists common homophones.
What are Homophones?
Homophones are words that have the same pronunciation but differ in meaning, derivation, or spelling. They arise in languages from a variety of causes, including shifts in pronunciation, merging of sounds in particular contexts, or simply because of the evolution of the language.
Why are Homophones Important?
- Avoiding Misunderstandings: In both spoken and written English, understanding homophones helps prevent misinterpretation of what is being said or written.
- Enhancing Language Skills: Knowledge of homophones is essential for learning English as a second language and for native speakers, it’s crucial for improving spelling and vocabulary.
- Appreciating Literature and Word Play: Many authors use homophones to create puns and other forms of wordplay, which are key to understanding and enjoying literature.
Homophones Words List
Homophones Words List
- cent – scent – sent
- knap – nap
- mayor – mare
- staid – stayed
- whey – way – weigh
- haul – hall
- sea – see
- chile – chilly – chili
- kraft – craft
- mettle – meddle – medal –
- sue – sioux
- weed – we’d
- choose – chews
- ladder – latter
- mewl – mule
- suit – soot
- weigh – whey – way
- hansom – handsome
- scent – sent – cent
- here – hear
- seize – seas – sees
- cygnet – signet
- overseas – oversees
- tracked – tract
- chic – sheik
- kraal – crawl
- meteor – meatier
- style – stile
- wee – we
- cane – cain
- in – inn
- main – mane – maine
- slight – sleight
- war – wore
- cannon – canon
- incite – insight
- maize – maze
- sloe – slow
- ware – wear – where
- bawled – bald – balled
- bald – balled – bawled
- bow – bough
- fiancé – fiancée
- prays – preys – praise
- be – bee
- heart – hart
- seem – seam
- breach – breech
- enumerable – innumerable
- pete – peat
- chased – chaste
- knit – nit
- meddle
- steak – stake
- whirled – whorled – world
- beet – beat
- forward – foreword
- rap – wrap
- hay – hey
- seam – seem
- foul – fowl
- rapped – rapt – wrapped
- aid – aide
- faun – fawn
- plait – plate
- close – clothes – cloze
- lean – lien
- mite – might
- tacks – tax
- where’s – wears – wares
- alluded – eluded
- heard – herd
- seeder – cedar
- awl – all
- choral – coral
- lade – laid
- mews – muse
- suite – sweet
- weighed – wade
- cellar – seller
- karat – carat – carrot – caret
- maul – mall
- sow – sew – so
- we’d – weed
- censor – sensor
- kernel – colonel
- may be – maybe
- spade – spayed
- whether – wether – weather
- guerilla – gorilla
- rung – wrung
- ale – ail
- four – fore – for
- rapper – wrapper
- fowl – foul
- rays – raze – raise
- cell – sell
- jinks – jinx
- matter – madder
- soul – sole
- weave – we’ve
- ceiling – sealing
- jim – gym
- mat – matte
- sorry – sari
- weather – whether – wether
- adam – atom
- cede – seed
- jibe – gibe
- massed – mast
- sore – soar
- wears – wares – where’s
- allowed – aloud
- frays – phrase
- read – reed
- czech – check
- effect – affect
- paced – paste
- peel – peal
- trussed – trust
- abel – able
- friar – fryer
- red – read
- guild – gild
- rye – wry
- err – air – heir
- petrel – petrol
- fare – fair
- pistil – pistol
- confirmation –
- lier – lyre – liar
- muscle – mussel
- tense – tents
- worn – warn
- coolie – coulee
- llama – lama
- mustard – mustered
- their – there – they’re
- wrapper – rapper
- cousin – cozen
- nome – gnome
- tigress – tigris
- yule – you’ll
- ariel – aerial
- cedar – seeder
- jell – gel
- mary – marry – merry
- soot – suit
- wear – where – ware
- clew – clue
- lea – lee
- missed – mist
- sword – soared
- whale – wale – wail
- already – all ready
- ducked – duct
- patted – padded
- vary – very
- ferry – fairy
- pore – pour
- exceed – accede
- phlox – flocks
- hew – hue – hugh
- sense – cents – scents
- affects – effects
- ant – aunt
- cord – cored – chord
- navel – naval
- they’re – their – there
- wring – ring
- frees – freeze – frieze
- real – reel
- crawl – kraal
- ode – owed
- toed – towed – toad
- core – corps
- nay – neigh
- threw – through
- write – right – rite
- cops – copse
- naval – navel
- there – they’re – their
- wrest – rest
- crewel – cruel
- or – ore – oar
- tool – tulle
- franc – frank
- read – red
- flair – flare
- pride – pried
- adherence – adherents
- arrant – errant
- forth – fourth
- raise – rays – raze
- accept – except
- feint – faint
- plum – plumb
- discreet – discrete
- parish – perish
- vain – vane – vein
- foreword – forward
- rack – wrack
- flea – flee
- primer – primmer
- bass – base
- cote – coat
- nice – gneiss
- thrown – throne
- yew – ewe – you
- for – four – fore
- quire – choir
- fate – fete
- plain – plane
- collard – collared
- knight – night
- mourning – morning
- team – teem
- wok – walk
- gaff – gaffe
- reign – rein – rain
- carol – carrel
- intense – intents
- marc – mark
- soared – sword
- way – weigh – whey
Homophones Words List
Homophones Words List
- assistance – assistants
- guessed – guest
- russell – rustle
- frieze – frees – freeze
- reed – read
- aureole – oriole
- bah – baa
- cheap – cheep
- knot – not
- merry – mary – marry
- step – steppe
- whoa – woe
- bough – bow
- barren – baron
- base – bass
- billed – build
- dye – die
- pear – pair – pare
- ducks – ducts
- paul – pall
- veil – vale
- boulder – bolder
- emend – amend
- petal – pedal – peddle
- adds – adz – ads
- coat – cote
- leek – leak
- moose – mousse
- taught – taut
- wind – wined – whined
- eyed – i’d
- pidgin – pigeon
- council – counsel
- niece – nice
- tic – tick
- yore – your – you’re
- fairy – ferry
- pique – peak – peek
- floe – flow
- profit – prophet
- grisly – grizzly
- ruff – rough
- fort – forte
- rain – reign – rein
- groan – grown
- rumor – roomer
- currant – current
- outcast – outcaste
- tow – toe
- ho – hoe
- serial – cereal
- bear – bare
- amend – emend
- baron – barren
- bases – basis
- basis – bases
- eye – i – aye
- picot – pekoe
- dam – damn
- effected – affected
- packed – pact
- peer – pier
- tucks – tux
- brewed – brood
- breech – breach
- bored – board
- babble – babel
- apprise – apprize
- allude – elude
- altar – alter
- apatite – appetite
- bore – boar
- bomb – bombe – balm
- bated – baited
- faze – phase
- plate – plait
- fur – fir
- reel – real
- hoard – horde
- series – ceres
- bowled – bold
- air – heir – err
- colonel – kernel
- lets – let’s
- mousse – moose
- tear – tier
- won – one
- board – bored
- few – phew
- pray – prey
- bold – bowled
- braid – brayed
- eave – eve
- elicit – illicit
- peat – pete
- peon – paean – paeon
- break – brake
- ball – bawl
- balm – bomb – bombe
- blue – blew
- bard – barred
- broach – brooch
- hole – whole
- load – lode – lowed
- shoe – shoo
- vein – vain – vane
- brood – brewed
- holed – hold
- loan – lone
- shofar – chauffeur
- venous – venus
- chauffeur – shofar
- knock – nock
- meet – mete – meat
- steal – steel
- whirred – word
- aye – eye – i
- axel – axle
- blew – blue
- conceded – conceited
- lien – lean
- mule – mewl
- tends – tens
- world – whirled – whorled
- complimentary
- lie – lye
- mucous – mucus
- tees – teas – tease
- wore – war
- coward – cowered
- none – nun
- timber – timbre
- crepe – crape
- one – won
- too – two – to
- aunt – ant
- due – dew – do
- peace – piece
- ewes – yews – use
- phil – fill
- allusive – elusive – illusive
- graphed – graft
- rough – ruff
- gale – gail
- retch – wretch
- chord – cord – cored
- lain – lane
- mien – mean
- sum – some
- weighs – ways
- heroin – heroine
- sell – cell
- fisher – fissure
- preys – praise – prays
- cored – chord – cord
- need – knead – kneed
- throes – throws
- wrote – rote
- baa – bah
- bait – bate
- complementary –
- lichen – liken
- – misses
- teem – team
- word – whirred
- coal – cole
- led – lead
- moat – mote
- tail – tale
- whorled – world – whirled
- brows – browse
- holey – holy – wholly
- loath – loathe
- shone – shown
- verses – versus
- caster – castor
- dun – done
- jam – jamb
- marshal – martial
- peal – peel
- some – sum
- we’ll – wheel
- bridal – bridle
- bee – be
- born – borne
- clamber – clammer – clamor
- lax – lacks
- miner – minor
- surge – serge
- wether – weather – whether
- check – czech
- know – no
- metal – mettle – meddle –
- stile – style
- whole – hole
- hare – hair
- scents – sense – cents
- fir – fur
- prey – pray
- coffers – coughers
- leis – lays – laze
- morning – mourning
- taut – taught
- wined – whined – wind
- been – bin
- dissent – descent
- passed – past
- vale – veil
- bruise – brews
- hoop – whoop
- loch – lock
- shoo – shoe
- very – vary
- brut – brute
- horde – hoard
- lochs – locks – lox
- shoot – chute
- vial – vile
- build – billed
- horse – hoarse
- lock – loch
- shown – shone
- vice – vise
- dane – deign
- effects – affects
- padded – patted
- pees – peas
- tudor – tutor – tooter
- correspondence – correspondents
- new – gnu – knew
- through – threw
- wry – rye
- bussed – bust
- hymn – him
- lowed – load – lode
- sighted – cited – sided
- wain – wane – wayne
- buy – by – bye
- i’ll – aisle – isle
- lumbar – lumber
- sink – sync
- wait – weight
- graham – gram
- rote – wrote
- bow – beau
- fends – fens
- pole – poll
- ascent – assent
- acclamation – acclimation
- gym – jim
- sack – sac
- analyst – annalist
- graft – graphed
- rose – rows
- bird – burred
- carrot – caret – karat – carat
- isle – i’ll – aisle
- mare – mayor
- sold – soled
- wayne – wain – wane
- acts – ax
- fourth – forth
- rapt – wrapped – rapped
- coarse – course
- lee – lea
- mode – mowed
- taper – tapir
- who’s – whose
- flu – flue – flew
- purr – per
- atom – adam
- bite – byte – bight
- brayed – braid
- foaled – fold
- quarts – quartz
- him – hymn
- serf – surf
- dear – deer
- pail – pale
- turban – turbine
- clue – clew
- leased – least
- moan – mown
- tact – tacked
- whet – wet
- carat – carrot – caret – karat
- instance – instants
- mantel – mantle
- soar – sore
- wax – whacks
- disperse – disburse
- parlay – parley
- valance – valence
- heir – err – air
- sees – seize – seas
- hangar – hanger
- scene – seen
- earn – urn
- eke – eek
- peas – pees
- penance – pennants
- bullion – bouillon
- coy – koi
- hose – hoes
- locks – lox – lochs
- nose – knows
- sic – sick
- time – thyme
- vile – vial
- eek – eke
- peek – pique – peak
- faint – feint
- pigeon – pidgin
- altogether – all together
- affect – effect
- ads – adds – adz
- bight – bite – byte
- clack – claque
- latter – ladder
- mind – mined
- surf – serf
- wet – whet
- educe – adduce
- pee – pea
- bib – bibb
- crape – crepe
- oar – or – ore
- toe – tow
- brake – break
- buoy – boy
- hostel – hostile
- lode – lowed – load
- side – sighed
- vise – vice
- burger – burgher
- hour – our
- lone – loan
- sided – sighted – cited
- wade – weighed
- burred – bird
- hue – hugh – hew
- loot – lute
- sighed – side
- wader – waiter
- border – boarder
- halve – have
- sashay – sachet
- bode – bowed
- berry – bury
- beau – bow
- bate – bait
- gourd – gored
- roomer – rumor
- hoes – hose
- shear – sheer
- baste – based
- afterward – afterword
- beach – beech
- bread – bred
- beat – beet
- boar – bore
- bell – belle
- crews – cruise
- oral – aural
- tooter – tudor – tutor
- handmade – handmaid
- saver – savor
- hertz – hurts
- seller – cellar
- dense – dents
- palate – palette – pallet
- tux – tucks
- dyeing – dying
- eight – ate
- pearl – purl
- pekoe – picot
- he’ll – heal – heel
Homophones Words List
Homophones Words List
- see – sea
- grade – grayed
- root – route
- hold – holed
- sheik – chic
- heed – he’d
- seen – scene
- except – accept
- phrase – frays
- diffused – defused
- pane – pain
- use – ewes – yews
- grater – greater
- route – root
- claque – clack
- lay – lei
- mints – mince
- swayed – suede
- we’ve – weave
- better – bettor
- coax – cokes
- lei – lay
- morn – mourn
- taupe – tope
- wine – whine
- berth – birth
- hays – haze
- sear – seer – sere
- grayed – grade
- roux – rue
- bury – berry
- hurts – hertz
- low – lo
- sight – site – cite
- wails – wales – whales
- chute – shoot
- lama – llama
- might – mite
- summary – summery
- weight – wait
- guilder – gilder
- sac – sack
- adieu – ado
- away – aweigh
- cue – queue
- our – hour
- tortuous – torturous
- descent – dissent
- pale – pail
- two – to – too
- cruel – crewel
- ore – oar – or
- tope – taupe
- grate – great
- rouse – rows
- finish – finnish
- presence – presents
- dual – duel
- patience – patients
- vane – vein – vain
- canter – cantor
- innocence – innocents
- mall – maul
- slow – sloe
- warn – worn
- canvas – canvass
- innumerable – enumerable
- mane – maine – main
- slue – slough – slew
- waste – waist
- capital – capitol
- insight – incite
- manner – manor
- so – sow – sew
- wave – waive
- canopy – canapé
- inn – in
- male – mail
- slough – slew – slue
- wares – where’s – wears
- burro – burrow – borough
- humerus – humorous
- lou – lieu
- sighs – size
- wail – whale – wale
- ax – acts
- cited – sided – sighted
- lapps – laps – lapse
- mince – mints
- sundae – sunday
- were – whir
- cite – sight – site
- lane – lain
- mil – mill
- sun – son
- we’ll – wheel
- flier – flyer
- principal – principle
- desert – dessert
- palette – pallet – palate
- udder – utter
- flower – flour
- purl – pearl
- bail – bale – baal
- cereal – serial
- knead – kneed – need
- mean – mien
- stake – steak
- while – wile
- cruise – crews
- oriole – aureole
- tort – torte
- barred – bard
- coughers – coffers
- nice – niece
- throws – throes
- yews – use – ewes
- basal – basil
- he’d – heed
- seas – sees – seize
- flew – flu – flue
- prince – prints
- duel – dual
- peak – peek – pique
- grease – greece
- rowed – road – rode
- grays – graze
- row – roe
- ewe – you – yew
- phew – few
- elusive – illusive – allusive
- eve – eave
- pervade – purveyed
- phase – faze
- continence – continents
- links – lynx
- mussel – muscle
- thai – tie
- wrap – rap
- click – clique
- leach – leech
- misses – mrs
- symbol – cymbal
- whales – wails – wales
- cole – coal
- lessen – lesson
- mourn – morn
- tea – tee
- woe – whoa
- based – baste
- complement – compliment
- liar – lier – lyre
- mown – moan
- tee – tea
- wood – would
- bad – bade
- cymbal – symbol
- owe – oh
- trader – traitor
- arc – ark
- elude – allude
- per – purr
- gnome – nome
- rode – rowed – road
- basil – basal
- gnu – knew – new
- roe – row
- hoarse – horse
- session – cession
- foe – faux
- queue – cue
- hart – heart
- scull – skull
- gilt – guilt
- road – rode – rowed
- eyelet – islet
- pie – pi
- hey – hay
- sensor – censor
- eluded – alluded
- perish – parish
- bask – basque
- great – grate
- rows – rose
- fill – phil
- precedence – precedents
- ail – ale
- allusion – illusion
- all – awl
- greater – grater
- rude – rued
- draft – draught
- paste – paced
- valence – valance
- hair – hare
- sail – sale
- course – coarse
- find – fined
- no – know
- premier – premiere
- tied – tide
- you’ll – yule
- greece – grease
- rue – roux
- gorilla – guerilla
- room – rheum
- gail – gale
- residence – residents
- foregone – forgone
- rabbet – rabbit
- ate – eight
- fold – foaled
- quince – quints
- gored – gourd
- rome – roam
- days – daze
- paean – paeon – peon
- tulle – tool
- guilt – gilt
- sachet – sashay
- fete – fate
- praise – prays – preys
- addition – edition
- cypress – cyprus
- owed – ode
- troop – troupe
- adduce – educe
- choir – quire
- lacks – lax
- metal
- suede – swayed
- week – weak
- coral – choral
- nave – knave
- there’s – theirs
- wretch – retch
- canapé – canopy
- impassable – impassible
- mail – male
- slew – slue – slough
- want – wont
- hoe – ho
- sew – so – sow
- handsome – hansom
- sax – sacks
- bloc – block
- bowed – bode
- grill – grille
- rued – rude
- cession – session
- knickers – nickers
- meatier – meteor
- stationary – stationery
- whined – wind – wined
- chews – choose
- koi – coy
- mete – meat – meet
- straightened – straitened
- whoop – hoop
- fax – facts
- plane – plain
- cash – cache
- islet – eyelet
- mark – marc
- sole – soul
- ways – weighs
- cast – caste
- it’s – its
- marry – merry – mary
- soled – sold
- we – wee
- bouillon – bullion
- bin – been
- bazaar – bizarre
- gait – gate
- rest – wrest
- ark – arc
- conformation
- lieu – lou
- muse – mews
- tern – turn
- would – wood
- coulee – coolie
- nickers – knickers
- thyme – time
- yoke – yolk
- hear – here
- seed – cede
- chance – chants
- knight – night
- medal – metal – mettle –
- stayed – staid
- whir – were
- bale – baal – bail
- ceres – series
- knew – new – gnu
- meat – meet – mete
- stare – stair
- whine – wine
- balled – bawled – bald
- band – banned
- eyes – ayes
- piece – peace
- coup – coo
- night – knight
- tide – tied
- you – yew – ewe
- brews – bruise
- bootie – booty
- bawl – ball
- coupe – coop
- nit – knit
- tie – thai
- you’re – yore – your
- have – halve
- sealing – ceiling
- bare – bear
- cheep – cheap
- knows – nose
- medal
- straight – strait
- wholly – holey – holy
- gofer – gopher
- role – roll
- accede – exceed
- aisle – isle – i’ll
- fair – fare
- pilate – pilot
- ducts – ducks
- pea – pee
- disburse – disperse
- pare – pear – pair
- utter – udder
- edition – addition
- pedal – peddle – petal
- flyer – flier
- purveyed – pervade
- flocks – phlox
- prints – prince
- craft – kraft
- nun – none
- toad – toed – towed
- cozen – cousin
- not – knot
- to – too – two
- courser – coarser
- nock – knock
- tier – tear
- your – you’re – yore
- climb – clime
- lead – led
- missile – missal
- sync – sink
- wheel – we’ll
- boy – buoy
- flour – flower
- pros – prose
- bred – bread
- beer – bier
- hire – higher
- serge – surge
- hi – high
- sent – cent – scent
- callous – callus
- immanent – imminent
- made – maid
- sleight – slight
- wane – wayne – wain
- byte – bight – bite
- i’d – eyed
- lute – loot
- sioux – sue
- waiter – wader
- calendar – calender
- illusive – allusive – elusive
- madder – matter
- slay – sleigh
- walk – wok
- caddie – caddy
- illicit – elicit
- lynx – links
- size – sighs
- wale – wail – whale
- cain – cane
- illusion – allusion
- lyre – liar – lier
- skull – scull
- wales – whales – wails
- cache – cash
- idle – idol – idyll
- lye – lie
- site – cite – sight
- waive – wave
- birth – berth
- ad – add
- clause – claws
- lays – laze – leis
- missal – missile
Homophones Words List
List of Homophone Words
- sweet – suite
- whacks – wax
- boarder – border
- higher – hire
- sere – sear – seer
- bolder – boulder
- braise – brays
- hale – hail
- sane – seine
- cause – caws
- jean – gene
- marten – martin
- son – sun
- weak – week
- baal – bail – bale
- baited – bated
- gilder – guilder
- rite – write – right
- borough – burro – burrow
- coarser – courser
- leech – leach
- mood – mooed
- tarry – terry
- wile – while
- die – dye
- pallet – palate – palette
- urn – earn
- gamble – gambol
- review – revue
- clique – click
- leak – leek
- mist – missed
- tacked – tact
- where – ware – wear
- gate – gait
- rheum – room
- gel – jell
- rigger – rigor
- hail – hale
- sacks – sax
- complacent – complaisant
- levee – levy
- mowed – mode
- teas – tease – tees
- wont – want
- auger – augur
- creak – creek
- oh – owe
- told – tolled
- aloud – allowed
- gneiss – nice
- roam – rome
- bizarre – bazaar
- facts – fax
- pier – peer
- ayes – eyes
- coo – coup
- literal – littoral
- must – mussed
- the – thee
- wrapped – rapped – rapt
- axes – axis
- beech – beach
- coop – coupe
- lo – low
- nap – knap
- theirs – there’s
- wreak – reek
- cents – scents – sense
- knave – nave
- maze – maize
- stair – stare
- which – witch
- brays – braise
- exercise – exorcise
- pi – pie
- deign – dane
- pair – pare – pear
- tutor – tooter – tudor
- duct – ducked
- pause – paws
- heel – he’ll – heal
- seer – sere – sear
- herd – heard
- seine – sane
- dew – do – due
- pall – paul
- undo – undue
- always – all ways
- affected – effected
- gene – jean
- right – rite – write
- corps – core
- neigh – nay
- throne – thrown
- wrung – rung
- fryer – friar
- reek – wreak
- flow – floe
- pugh – pew
- errant – arrant
- pew – pugh
- defused – diffused
- pain – pane
- turn – tern
- but – butt
- i – aye – eye
- lox – lochs – locks
- signet – cygnet
- waist – waste
- cokes – coax
- lends – lens
- mote – moat
- tax – tacks
- witch – which
- curser – cursor
- overdo – overdue
- towed – toad – toed
- aerial – ariel
- consonance – consonants
- liken – lichen
- mussed – must
- terry – tarry
- wrack – rack
- hall – haul
- sari – sorry
- gibe – jibe
- rigor – rigger
- feat – feet
- pleas – please
- gild – guild
- ring – wring
- aural – oral
Must Learn: Homographs Words With Meaning
Homophones Words List
