English Homophones
English (especially British English) is not spelt phonetically. Two words can share none, any or
all of Spelling, Pronunciation and Meaning. All languages have synonyms (words with unrelated
spelling and pronunciation but the same meaning) and words with multiple meanings. However
English has an exceptional disparity between spelling and pronunciation.
The possible combinations or some but all characteristics being the same are as follows:-
Spelling Pronunciation Meaning Classification Example
Same Different Different Homonym refuse
Different Same Different Homophone See below
Same Same Different Multiple meanings trap
Different Different Same Synonym rare/uncommon
Alternative Schedule (British/American
Same Different Same
pronuncation pronuncation)
Different Same Same Alternative spelling jail/gaol
This page is about homophones. Words with different meanings and spellings, but the same
(UK) pronunciation.
My collection
With the generous help of various contributors, I have now collected 441 homophones. This is
396 pairs, 40 triples and 5 quadruples. That is 546 pairs of homophone words.
Near misses
These are word pairs that have been suggested but rejection, for one of the following reasons:-
Not precisely the same pronunciation. I only reject on this grounds, if my dictionary
gives different pronunciation (or is unclear) and I think there is a difference, or am not
sure how one of the words in pronounced.
o accept, except
o acetic, ascetic
o advice, advise
o affect, effect
o axe, acts
o axle, axil
o deal, dele
o caret, carrot
o close, clothes
o cask, casque
o deuce, juice
o facts, fax
o formerly, formally
o halve, have
o hostel, hostile
o ion, iron
o jota, jotter
o liar, layer
o loch, lock
o mana, manna
o ordinance, ordnance
o paw/pore/pour, poor
o pecan, pekan
o picture, pitcher
o plaintiff, plaintive
o prince, prints
o presence, presents
o tense, tents
o wan, won
The two spellings have a meaning in common. Even if each spelling has distinct
meanings, any common mean classifies them as alternative spellings rather than
homophones. (American, or other non-British, spellings are ignored for this purpose.)
o ambiance, ambience
o assay, essay
o aught, ought
o cot, cote
o depositary, depository
o forbear, forebear
o forego, forgo
o gage, gauge
o gel, jell
o genet, jennet
o gibe, gybe
o gray, grey
o grill, grille
o groin, groyne
o gunnel, gunwale
o hippie, hippy
o main, maine
o prise, prize
o ray, re
o ton, tonne
It would be double counting. If two forms of two words are different homophones, then I
only count a single example.
I list complement/compliment and hence don't list complementary/complimentary. I
normally list the simplest form (singular rather than plural; present tense etc.) unless
other form is a longer list.
e.g. I list holey/holy/wholly rather than hole/whole.
Proper nouns and associated adjectives are not allowed, notably a lot of nations,
nationalities, and place names are pronounced the same as common nouns.
o Capitol, capital
o Crewe, crew
o Czech, check/cheque
o Chile, chilly/chilli
o Dane, deign
o Greece, grease
o Hungary, hungry
o Lapp, lap
o Nice, niece
o Pole, poll
o Rome, roam
o Sikh, seek
o Thai, tie
o Towcester, toaster
o Wales, whales
And many, many more.
Unsure
Alleged homophones that aren't in my dictionary. As such I am either uncertain of
pronunciation, spelling or even existence of the word, so cannot include in the confirmed list.
Word Homophone(s) Comment
wether weather, whether I am told this is a type of sheep.
basinet bassinet ?A musical instrument?
hele heal,heal ?Song, from the German?
how'll howl Not really establisted enough to count
leider leader ?Song, from the German?
lune loon The moon (if so fails as a proper noun)
meer mere
rayed raid
sice syce
sorel sorrel
velum vellum
wyrd weird
This is a list of British-English homophones. See the explanation page for details of the inclusion
criteria.
1. accessary, accessory 111. dew, due
2. ad, add 112. die, dye
3. ail, ale 113. discreet, discrete
4. air, heir 114. doe, doh, dough
5. aisle, I'll, isle 115. done, dun
6. all, awl 116. douse, dowse
7. allowed, aloud 117. draft, draught
8. alms, arms 118. dual, duel
9. altar, alter 119. earn, urn
10. arc, ark 120. eery, eyrie
11. aren't, aunt 121. ewe, yew, you
12. ate, eight 122. faint, feint
13. auger, augur 123. fah, far
14. auk, orc 124. fair, fare
15. aural, oral 125. farther, father
16. away, aweigh 126. fate, fête
17. awe, oar, or, ore 127. faun, fawn
18. axel, axle 128. fay, fey
19. aye, eye, I 129. faze, phase
20. bail, bale 130. feat, feet
21. bait, bate 131. ferrule, ferule
22. baize, bays 132. few, phew
23. bald, bawled 133. fie, phi
24. ball, bawl 134. file, phial
25. band, banned 135. find, fined
26. bard, barred 136. fir, fur
27. bare, bear 137. fizz, phiz
28. bark, barque 138. flair, flare
29. baron, barren 139. flaw, floor
30. base, bass 140. flea, flee
31. bay, bey 141. flex, flecks
32. bazaar, bizarre 142. flew, flu, flue
33. be, bee 143. floe, flow
34. beach, beech 144. flour, flower
35. bean, been 145. foaled, fold
36. beat, beet 146. for, fore, four
37. beau, bow 147. foreword, forward
38. beer, bier 148. fort, fought
39. bel, bell, belle 149. forth, fourth
40. berry, bury 150. foul, fowl
41. berth, birth 151. franc, frank
42. bight, bite, byte 152. freeze, frieze
43. billed, build 153. friar, fryer
44. bitten, bittern 154. furs, furze
45. blew, blue 155. gait, gate
46. bloc, block 156. galipot, gallipot
47. boar, bore 157. gallop, galop
48. board, bored 158. gamble, gambol
49. boarder, border 159. gays, gaze
50. bold, bowled 160. genes, jeans
51. boos, booze 161. gild, guild
52. born, borne 162. gilt, guilt
53. bough, bow 163. giro, gyro
54. boy, buoy 164. gnaw, nor
55. brae, bray 165. gneiss, nice
56. braid, brayed 166. gorilla, guerilla
57. braise, brays, braze 167. grate, great
58. brake, break 168. greave, grieve
59. bread, bred 169. greys, graze
60. brews, bruise 170. grisly, grizzly
61. bridal, bridle 171. groan, grown
62. broach, brooch 172. guessed, guest
63. bur, burr 173. hail, hale
64. but, butt 174. hair, hare
65. buy, by, bye 175. hall, haul
66. buyer, byre 176. hangar, hanger
67. calendar, calender 177. hart, heart
68. call, caul 178. haw, hoar, whore
69. canvas, canvass 179. hay, hey
70. cast, caste 180. heal, heel, he'll
71. caster, castor 181. hear, here
72. caught, court 182. heard, herd
73. caw, core, corps 183. he'd, heed
74. cede, seed 184. heroin, heroine
75. ceiling, sealing 185. hew, hue
76. cell, sell 186. hi, high
77. censer, censor, sensor 187. higher, hire
78. cent, scent, sent 188. him, hymn
79. cereal, serial 189. ho, hoe
80. cheap, cheep 190. hoard, horde
81. check, cheque 191. hoarse, horse
82. choir, quire 192. holey, holy,
83. chord, cord wholly
84. cite, sight, site 193. hour, our
85. clack, claque 194. idle, idol
86. clew, clue 195. in, inn
87. climb, clime 196. indict, indite
88. close, cloze 197. it's, its
89. coal, kohl 198. jewel, joule
90. coarse, course 199. key, quay
91. coign, coin 200. knave, nave
92. colonel, kernel 201. knead, need
93. complacent, complaisant 202. knew, new
94. complement, compliment 203. knight, night
95. coo, coup 204. knit, nit
96. cops, copse 205. knob, nob
97. council, counsel 206. knock, nock
98. cousin, cozen 207. knot, not
99. creak, creek 208. know, no
100. crews, cruise 209. knows, nose
101. cue, kyu, queue 210. laager, lager
102. curb, kerb 211. lac, lack
103. currant, current 212. lade, laid
104. cymbol, symbol 213. lain, lane
105. dam, damn 214. lam, lamb
106. days, daze 215. laps, lapse
107. dear, deer 216. larva, lava
108. descent, dissent 217. lase, laze
109. desert, dessert 218. law, lore
110. deviser, divisor 219. lay, ley
220. lea, lee
221. leach, leech 331. rouse, rows
222. lead, led 332. rung, wrung
223. leak, leek 333. rye, wry
224. lean, lien 334. saver, savour
225. lessen, lesson 335. spade, spayed
226. levee, levy 336. sale, sail
227. liar, lyre 337. sane, seine
228. licence, license 338. satire, satyr
229. licker, liquor 339. sauce, source
230. lie, lye 340. saw, soar, sore
231. lieu, loo 341. scene, seen
232. links, lynx 342. scull, skull
233. lo, low 343. sea, see
234. load, lode 344. seam, seem
235. loan, lone 345. sear, seer, sere
236. locks, lox 346. seas, sees, seize
237. loop, loupe 347. sew, so, sow
238. loot, lute 348. shake, sheikh
239. made, maid 349. shear, sheer
240. mail, male 350. shoe, shoo
241. main, mane 351. sic, sick
242. maize, maze 352. side, sighed
243. mall, maul 353. sign, sine
244. manna, manner 354. sink, synch
245. mantel, mantle 355. slay, sleigh
246. mare, mayor 356. sloe, slow
247. mark, marque 357. sole, soul
248. marshal, martial 358. some, sum
249. marten, martin 359. son, sun
250. mask, masque 360. sort, sought
251. maw, more 361. spa, spar
252. me, mi 362. staid, stayed
253. mean, mien 363. stair, stare
254. meat, meet, mete 364. stake, steak
255. medal, meddle 365. stalk, stork
256. metal, mettle 366. stationary,
257. meter, metre stationery
258. might, mite 367. steal, steel
259. miner, minor, mynah 368. stile, style
260. mind, mined 369. storey, story
261. missed, mist 370. straight, strait
262. moat, mote 371. sweet, suite
263. mode, mowed 372. swat, swot
264. moor, more 373. tacks, tax
265. moose, mousse 374. tale, tail
266. morning, mourning 375. talk, torque
267. muscle, mussel 376. tare, tear
268. naval, navel 377. taught, taut, tort
269. nay, neigh 378. te, tea, tee
270. nigh, nye 379. team, teem
271. none, nun 380. tear, tier
272. od, odd 381. teas, tease
273. ode, owed 382. terce, terse
274. oh, owe 383. tern, turn
275. one, won 384. there, their, they're
276. packed, pact 385. threw, through
277. packs, pax 386. throes, throws
278. pail, pale 387. throne, thrown
279. pain, pane 388. thyme, time
280. pair, pare, pear 389. tic, tick
281. palate, palette, pallet 390. tide, tied
282. pascal, paschal 391. tire, tyre
283. paten, patten, pattern 392. to, too, two
284. pause, paws, pores, 393. toad, toed, towed
pours 394. told, tolled
285. pawn, porn 395. tole, toll
286. pea, pee 396. ton, tun
287. peace, piece 397. tor, tore
288. peak, peek, peke, 398. tough, tuff
pique 399. troop, troupe
289. peal, peel 400. tuba, tuber
290. pearl, purl 401. vain, vane, vein
291. pedal, peddle 402. vale, veil
292. peer, pier 403. vial, vile
293. pi, pie 404. wail, wale, whale
294. pica, pika 405. wain, wane
295. place, plaice 406. waist, waste
296. plain, plane 407. wait, weight
297. pleas, please 408. waive, wave
298. plum, plumb 409. wall, waul
299. pole, poll 410. war, wore
300. poof, pouffe 411. ware, wear, where
301. practice, practise 412. warn, worn
302. praise, prays, preys 413. wart, wort
303. principal, principle 414. watt, what
304. profit, prophet 415. wax, whacks
305. quarts, quartz 416. way, weigh, whey
306. quean, queen 417. we, wee, whee
307. rain, reign, rein 418. weak, week
308. raise, rays, raze 419. we'd, weed
309. rap, wrap 420. weal, we'll, wheel
310. raw, roar 421. wean, ween
311. read, reed 422. weather, whether
312. read, red 423. weaver, weever
313. real, reel 424. weir, we're
314. reek, wreak 425. were, whirr
315. rest, wrest 426. wet, whet
316. retch, wretch 427. wheald, wheeled
317. review, revue 428. which, witch
318. rheum, room 429. whig, wig
319. right, rite, wright, 430. while, wile
write 431. whine, wine
320. ring, wring 432. whirl, whorl
321. road, rode 433. whirled, world
322. roe, row 434. whit, wit
323. role, roll 435. white, wight
324. roo, roux, rue 436. who's, whose
325. rood, rude 437. woe, whoa
326. root, route 438. wood, would
327. rose, rows 439. yaw, yore, your,
328. rota, rotor you're
329. rote, wrote 440. yoke, yolk
330. rough, ruff 441. you'll, yule
List of Homophones
acts/ax faze/phase pause/paws
ad/add feat/feet pea/pee
ads/adds/adz find/fined peace/piece
aid/aide fir/fur peak/peek/pique
ail/ale flair/flare peal/peel
air/heir/err flea/flee pearl/purl
aisle/isle/I'll flew/flu/flue pedal/peddle/petal
all/awl flour/flower peer/pier
all ready/already flocks/phlox per/purr
all together/altogether for/four/fore pi/pie
allowed/aloud foreword/forward plait/plate
alter/altar fort/forte plain/plane
ant/aunt forth/fourth pleas/please
arc/ark foul/fowl plum/plumb
assent/ascent friar/fryer pole/poll
assistance/assistants gait/gate pore/pour
ate/eight gene/jean pray/prey
aural/oral gild/guild presence/presents
away/aweigh gilt/guilt prince/prints
aye/eye gnu/knew/new principal/principle
bail/bale gored/gourd profit/prophet
bait/bate gorilla/guerilla rack/wrack
ball/bawl grate/great rain/reign/rein
band/banned grease/Greece raise/rays/raze
bard/barred groan/grown rap/wrap
bare/bear guessed/guest rapped/rapt/wrapped
baron/barren hail/hale read/red
base/bass hair/hare read/reed
bases/basis hall/haul real/reel
bazaar/bizarre halve/have reek/wreak
be/bee hangar/hanger rest/wrest
beach/beech hay/hey retch/wretch
beat/beet heal/heel/he'll review/revue
beau/bow hear/here right/rite/write
bell/belle heard/herd ring/wring
berry/bury heed/he'd road/rode/rowed
billed/build hertz/hurts roam/Rome
berth/birth hew/hue/Hugh roe/row
bite/byte hi/high role/roll
blew/blue higher/hire root/route
bloc/block him/hymn rose/rows
boar/bore hoard/horde rote/wrote
board/bored hoarse/horse rough/ruff
boarder/border hole/whole rung/wrung
bode/bowed holey/holy/wholly rye/wry
bolder/boulder hoes/hose sail/sale
born/borne hold/holed scene/seen
bough/bow hostel/hostile scull/skull
bouillon/bullion hour/our sea/see
boy/buoy idle/idol seam/seem
bread/bred illicit/elicit seas/sees/seize
brake/break in/inn serf/surf
brewed/brood insight/incite sew/so/sow
brews/bruise instance/instants shear/sheer
bridle/bridal intense/intents shoe/shoo
broach/brooch its/it's shone/shown
browse/brows jam/jamb side/sighed
but/butt colonel/kernel sighs/size
buy/by/bye knap/nap slay/sleigh
cache/cash knead/kneed/need sleight/slight
callous/callus knight/night slew/slue/slough
cannon/canon knit/nit soar/sore
canvas/canvass knot/not soared/sword
capital/capitol know/no sole/soul
carat/carrot/caret/karat knows/nose some/sum
carol/carrel laid/lade son/sun
cast/caste lain/lane staid/stayed
cede/seed lay/lei stair/stare
ceiling/sealing leach/leech stake/steak
cell/sell lead/led stationary/stationery
cellar/seller leak/leek steal/steel
censor/sensor lean/lien step/steppe
cent/scent/sent leased/least stile/style
cents/scents/sense lee/lea straight/strait
cereal/serial lessen/lesson suite/sweet
cession/session levee/levy surge/serge
chance/chants liar/lier/lyre tacks/tax
chased/chaste lichen/liken tail/tale
cheap/cheep lie/lye taught/taut
chews/choose lieu/Lou tea/tee
chic/sheik links/lynx team/teem
chilly/chili load/lode tear/tier
choral/coral loan/lone tern/turn
choir/quire locks/lox their/there/they're
chute/shoot loot/lute theirs/there's
chord/cord low/lo threw/through
cite/sight/site made/maid thrown/throne
clause/claws mail/male thyme/time
click/clique main/mane/Maine tic/tick
close/clothes/cloze maize/maze tide/tied
coal/cole mall/maul to/too/two
coarse/course manner/manor toad/towed
colonel/kernel mantel/mantle toe/tow
complement/compliment marry/merry/Mary told/tolled
coo/coup marshal/martial trussed/trust
coop/coupe massed/mast vain/vane/vein
core/corps maybe/may be vale/veil
correspondence/correspondent meat/meet/mete vary/very
s
medal/metal/mettle/meddle vial/vile
council/counsel
might/mite vice/vise
creak/creek
mince/mints wade/weighed
crews/cruise
mind/mined wail/whale
cruel/crewel
miner/minor waist/waste
cue/queue
missed/mist wait/weight
currant/current
moan/mown waive/wave
curser/cursor
mode/mowed want/wont
cymbal/symbol
moose/mousse ware/wear/where
dam/damn
morn/mourn way/weigh/whey
days/daze
muscle/mussel ways/weighs
dear/deer
mustard/mustered we/wee
defused/diffused
naval/navel weak/week
desert (abandon)/dessert
nay/neigh we'll/wheel
dew/do/due
none/nun weather/whether
die/dye
oar/or/ore we'd/weed
disburse/disperse
ode/owed we've/weave
discreet/discrete
oh/owe wet/whet
doe/dough/do (musical note)
one/won which/witch
done/dun
overdo/overdue while/wile
draft/draught
overseas/oversees whine/wine
dual/duel
pail/pale who's/whose
earn/urn
pain/pane wood/would
ewe/you/yew
pair/pare/pear yoke/yolk
eye/I
palate/palette/pallet yore/your/you're
faint/feint
passed/past you'll/Yule
fair/fare
patience/patients
faun/fawn
What are homophones?
Homophones are words that sound the same, but have different spellings and meanings, e.g.
flower and flour.
You need to learn these words as there are no spelling rules to help you remember them.
Here is a list of common homophones.
Homophones Examples
allowed You are not allowed to smoke until you are 16.
aloud She spoke her thoughts aloud (to say something so it can be heard).
bear A bear is a large furry animal.
bare She walked on the beach with bare feet.
bored To be bored is to have lost interest in something.
board A board is a flat piece of wood.
break If you break something you damage it.
Homophones Examples
brake When you brake the car slows down.
caught He caught a large fish.
court You play tennis on a tennis court.
check Did you check that the door is locked?
cheque You can write a cheque to pay your bills.
find I can't find my socks.
fined She was fined £40 for driving too fast on the motorway.
flower A daffodil or a rose is a flower.
flour You need some flour to make the birthday cake.
hair She has really long hair.
hare A hare is an animal like a rabbit.
here Please come over here.
hear Can you hear that noise?
heal His leg is broken, but it will heal (get better).
heel Your heel is at the back of your foot.
hire When we go to Spain we'll hire a car.
higher The mountain was higher than the clouds.
hour There are 60 minutes in an hour.
our This is our house.
maid The maid cleaned all of the 15 rooms.
made I made the bed this morning.
new I spilt wine on my brand new shirt.
knew I knew the answers to all the questions.
one There was only one piece of birthday cake left.
won She won the running race.
pear I ate a pear and a banana for breakfast.
pair I won the card game with a pair of aces.
piece I ate a very large piece of pie.
peace He went on an march for world peace.
plain I painted over the wallpaper in a plain colour.
plane The plane landed late because of heavy fog.
pour Can you please pour some milk on my cereal.
poor He grew up in a poor neighbourhood.
paw The cat hurt his paw in a fight.
saw He cut the tree down with a saw.
sore His ankle was sore after he fell over.
see She couldn't see without her glasses.
Homophones Examples
sea I went swimming in the sea while on holiday.
shore She built a sandcastle by the shore.
sure I'm sure that I turned the oven off. (to be absolutely certain)
sight Don't let the children out of your sight.
site There were four cranes on the building site.
stairs She ran down the stairs to answer the phone.
stares He stares out of the window at the neighbours.
steal The thief got caught trying to steal the diamond.
steel The buildings were made of steel and glass.
they're They're is a shorter way to say they are.
their It was their dog that bit the postman.
there The supermarket is over there.
through I walked through the door into the room.
threw She threw the ball a long way.
to He isn't going to work today.
too Too is another way to say as well.
two Two is the number between one and three.
waste Waiting for the wrong train was a waste of time.
waist Her old dress was a bit tight around the waist.
week A week is seven days long.
weak He was too weak to lift the heavy box.
where Where are you going tonight?
wear Which tee-shirt are you going to wear out?
whether I'm not sure whether to phone her or not.
weather Sun, rain, wind and snow are types of weather.
which Which ice cream would you like?
witch The witch was seen flying on a broomstick.
whole Two halves make a whole.
hole There was a hole in his sock.
worn I am tired and worn out.
warn He tried to warn her about the wet floor.
would Would you like a drink?.
wood Wood comes from trees.
write I must write a letter to my friend soon.
right Right is the opposite of left.
