A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but it differs in meaning or spelling or both. A few examples are listed below.
What Are Homophones and Common Examples?
Understanding homophones helps improve your English vocabulary, writing accuracy, and spelling. Below is a detailed list of common homophones with their distinct meanings and example sentences.
| Word Pair | Definitions & Examples |
|---|---|
| ail / ale |
ail, a rather old-fashioned verb meaning to be ill, as in The old woman is ailing; or to be the matter, to be wrong, as in What ails you? ale, a noun meaning a kind of beer, as in a pint of foaming ale. |
| alter / altar |
alter a verb meaning to change, as in They have had to alter their plans. altar a noun meaning, in the Christian church, the table on which the bread and wine are consecrated for communion and which serves as the centre of worship, as in The priest moved to the altar, from where he dispensed communion. The word can also refer to a raised structure on which sacrifices are made, as in The Druids made sacrifices on the altar of their gods. |
| blew / blue |
blew a verb, the past tense of the verb to blow, as in They blew the trumpets loudly. blue a noun and adjective meaning a colour of the shade of a clear sky, as in She wore a blue dress. |
| boar / bore |
boar a noun meaning a male pig, as in a dish made with wild boar. bore a verb meaning to produce a hole in something with a drill as in He bored a hole in the wall. bore a verb meaning to make tired and uninterested, as in The audience was obviously bored by the rather academic lecture. bore a verb, the past tense of the verb to bear, as in They bore their troubles lightly. |
| cereal / serial |
cereal a noun meaning a plant yielding grain suitable for food, as in Countries which grow cereal crops and Quite a lot of cereal crops are grown in the UK and a prepared food made with grain, as in We often have cereal for breakfast. serial a noun meaning a story or television play which is published or appears in regular parts, as in the final instalment of the magazine serial which she was following. |
| cite / sight / site |
cite a verb meaning to quote or mention by way of example or proof, as in The lawyer cited a previous case to try and get his client off a charge of manslaughter. sight a noun meaning the act of seeing, as in They recognized him at first sight. site a noun meaning a location, place, as in They have found a site for the new factory. |
| feat / feet |
feat a noun meaning a notable act or deed, as in The old man received an award for his courageous feat. feet a noun, the plural form of foot, as in The child got her feet wet from walking through a puddle. |
| know / no |
know a verb meaning to have understanding or knowledge of, as in He is the only one who knows the true facts of the situation, and to be acquainted with, as in I met her once but I don’t really know her. no an adjective meaning not any, as in We have no food left and There is no right of way through the large estate. |
| none / nun |
none a pronoun meaning not any, as in They are demanding money but we have none. nun a noun meaning a woman who joins a religious order and takes vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, as in She gave up the world to become a nun. |
| rite / right / write |
rite a noun meaning a ceremonial act or words, as in She has been taking part in rites involving witchcraft. right an adjective meaning correct, as in Very few people gave the right answer to the question. write a verb meaning to form readable characters, as in He writes regularly for the newspapers. |
| stare / stair |
stare a verb and noun meaning to look fixedly and a fixed gaze, as in She stared at him in disbelief when he told her the news and He gave me an angry stare. stair a noun meaning a series of flights of steps, as in The old lady caught her foot on the stair. |
Key Takeaways
- A homophone is a word pronounced identically to another word but differing in meaning, spelling, or both.
- Homophones often share identical sounds while having distinct grammatical categories, such as nouns, verbs, or adjectives.
- Careful attention to context helps distinguish between words like site, sight, and cite.
Quick Practice
Test your understanding of homophones by dropping your answers in the comments below:
- Which homophone correctly completes the sentence: "She wore a bright _____ dress"? (blue / blew)
- Choose the correct word for a physical location: "They found a new _____ for the building." (sight / site / cite)
Frequently Asked Questions About Homophones
What is the definition of a homophone?
A homophone is a word that sounds exactly the same as another word, but has a different meaning and often a different spelling.
Why are homophones important to learn?
Learning homophones prevents common spelling mistakes and ensures that your written sentences convey the exact meaning you intend.