A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same, to a varying extent, as another word but differs totally in meaning. A homophone may also differ in spelling. The two words may be spelled the same, such as rose (flower) and rose (past tense of “rise”), or differently, such as carat, and carrot, or to, two, and too. The term “homophone” may also apply to units longer or shorter than words, such as phrases, letters, or groups of letters which are pronounced the same as another phrase, letter, or group of letters. Any unit with this property is said to be “homophonous”. Homophones are often used to create puns and to deceive the reader (as in crossword puzzles) or to suggest multiple meanings. They usually occur in groups of two but sometimes they can be three or four in a group. It’s important to recognize and identify the most common homophones because the spelling can change the entire meaning of a sentence

English Language has more homophones than most languages because its pronunciation has changed a lot over time, while its spelling has changed very little. Many words have been borrowed from other languages through the centuries and this explains why English spelling is so strange (or confusing!). For example: right (Old English: riht) vs. write (Old English: writan) vs. rite (Latin: ritus). In the past, these words would have been pronounced differently, but today they all sound the same in modern English.

Homophones are a type of homonym. Homonyms, broadly defined, are words which are homographs (words that share the same spelling, regardless of pronunciation) or homophones (words that share the same pronunciation, regardless of spelling), or both.

 You can find out more about these types of words and word types/structures in Connotation vs Denotation

Here are 200 homophones for kids to read up on. You can use also use this homophones list for a homophones worksheet

abel — able

accede — exceed

accept — except

addition — edition

all ready — already

ax — acts

axel — axle

axes — axis

aye — eye — I

ayes — eyes

baa — bah

baal — bail

bass — base

baste — based

bate — bait

bated — baited

bawl — ball

been — bin

beer — bier

beet — beat

bell — belle

berry — bury

berth — birth

better — bettor

bib — bibb

bight — bite

bury — berry

bussed — bust

but — butt

buy — by — bye

byte — bight

cache — cash

caddie — caddy

cain — cane

cheap — cheep

check — Czech

cheep — cheap

chews — choose

chic — sheik

click — clique

climb — clime

clique — click

colonel — kernel

coolie — coulee

coop — coupe

cops — copse

coral — choral

cord — cored

core — corps

cored — chord

corps — core

coughers — coffers

coulee — coolie

council — counsel

coup — coo

course — coarse

cousin — cozen

coward — cowered

coy — koi

cozen — cousin

craft — kraft

crape — crepe

crawl — kraal

creak — creek

crepe — crape

crewel — cruel

dense — dents

descent — dissent

dun — done

dye — die

dyeing — dying

fare — fair

fate — fete

faun — fawn

fax — facts

faze — phase

feat — feet

feint — faint

fends — fens

flour — flower

flow — floe

flower — flour

flu — flue — flew

flyer — flier

foaled — fold

fort — forte

forward — foreword

foul — fowl

four — fore — for

fourth — forth

gibe — jibe

gnu — knew — new

gofer — gopher

gored — gourd

gorilla — guerilla

gourd — gored

grade — grayed

graft — graphed

graham — gram

graphed — graft

heroin — heroine

hertz — hurts

hew — hue

hoes — hose

hold — holed

hole — whole

holed — hold

hue — hew

humerus

incite — insight

jam — jamb

jean — gene

jell — gel

jibe — gibe

kernel — colonel

knap — nap

knave — nave

ladder — latter

lade — laid

lain — lane

lays — laze

lea — lee

leach — leech

lead — led

leak — leek

lean — lien

leased — least

led — lead

lee — lea

leech — leach

liar — lier

lichen — liken

lie — lye

lien — lean

lier — liar

lieu — Lou

liken — lichen

lochs — locks

lock — loch

locks — lox

mints — mince

missal — missile

missed — mist

misses — Mrs.

missile — missal

mist — missed

mite — might

moan — mown

moat — mote

mode — mowed

mood — mooed

moose — mousse

morn — mourn

nice — gneiss

Nice — niece

nickers — knickers

niece — Nice

oh — owe

one — won

owe — oh

padded — patted

paean — paeon

pail — pale

pain — pane

pair — pare

pale — pail

parish — perish

real — reel

root — route

rose — rows

rows — rose

rude — rued

rue — roux

rued — rude

troop — troupe

trussed — trust

turn — tern

tutor — tooter

tux — tucks

urn — earn

use — ewes

vale — veil

vane — vein

vary — very

veil — vale

vein — vain

ways — weighs

we — wee

we’ll — wheel

weak — week

wear — where

weave — we’ve

wretch — retch

wring — ring

yew — ewe — you

yews — use

yoke — yolk

you’ll — Yule

your — you’re

yule — you’ll

 

Here are some more examples of homophones to play around with;