Homophones in English
The word: Homophone (whose origin is Ancient Greek) denotes
words whose meaning (and usually their spelling) is different but are pronounced the same (homo="same", phone="sound, voice")
Here's a list of more
than 700 pairs, trios, quartets and even 2 quintets (!) of homophones I've collected.
Are you a native
English speaker?
Can you cope with the
challenge: enhance the list and add more homophones?
If you think you can,
you're most welcome.
Just register, add a
comment with your own homophones, and I'll add them
to the list.
Abel/able
|
ad/add
|
aerie/airy
|
aid/aide
|
ail/ale
|
air/ere/err/heir/
|
airer/error
|
airs/heirs
|
aisle/isle
|
allowed/aloud
|
ant/aunt
|
ante/anti/auntie
|
arc/ark
|
are/our/R
|
aught/ought
|
aural/oral
|
awe/or
|
aye/eye/I
|
ayes/eyes
|
baa/bar
|
baas (pres. Of baa)/bars
|
bach/batch
|
bail/bale
|
bait/bate
|
baited/bated
|
baize/bays
|
bald/balled (p. of ball)/bawled
|
ball/bawl
|
band/banned(p. of ban)
|
bard/barred
|
bare/bear
|
baron/barren
|
base/bass
|
based/baste
|
bask/Basque
|
baud/bawd/bode
|
bay/bey
|
be/bee
|
beach/beech
|
bead/Bede
|
bean/been
|
beard/beered (p. of beer)
|
beat/beet
|
beau/bo/bow
|
beat/beet
|
beau/bo/bow
|
BEC/beck
|
beer/bier
|
bell/belle
|
berry/bury
|
berth/birth
|
bight/bite/byte
|
bird/burred (p. of bur)
|
blays/blaze
|
bleats/bleeds
|
blew (p. of blow)/blue
|
boar/Boer/boor/bore
|
board/bored
|
bold/bowled (p.of bowl)
|
bolder/boulder
|
bole/bowl
|
boos/booze
|
born/borne
|
boule/buhl
|
bow/bough
|
boy/buoy
|
brail/braille
|
braise/brays/braze
|
braid/brayed (p. of bray)
|
brand/branned (p.of bran)
|
breach/breech
|
bread/bred (p. of breed)
|
brake/break
|
breeze/bries
|
brewed/brood
|
brews/bruise
|
bridal/bridle
|
broach/brooch
|
brows/browse
|
bussed(p. of bus)/bust
|
but/butt
|
buy/by/bye
|
C/sea/see
|
cache/cash
|
caff/calf
|
call/caul
|
calves/carves
|
cane/Cain
|
cannon/canon
|
cant/can't
|
canter/cantor
|
canvas/canvass
|
capital/capitol
|
carat/caret/carrot
|
card/carred (p. of car)
|
cards/carts
|
cared (p. of care)/caird
|
cart/kart
|
cast/caste/cussed
|
caught/court
|
cauld/called (p.of call)
|
caulk/cork
|
caw/cor/core/corps
|
caws/cause
|
cay/K
|
cedar/ceder/seeder
|
cede/seed
|
ceiling/sealing
|
cell/sell
|
cellar/seller
|
cent/sent/scent
|
cents/sends
|
cereal/serial
|
chad/Chad
|
chair/chare
|
chairs/chares
|
chard/charred (p. of char)
|
cheap/cheep
|
cheat/cheet
|
cheater/cheetah
|
check/cheque/Czech
|
chews/choose
|
chic/sheikh/shick
|
Chile/chilly
|
choir/quire
|
choral/coral
|
chord/cord
|
chou/shoe/shoo/shou/
shew
|
chough/chuff
|
chute/shoot
|
ciao/chow
|
cide/side/sighed (p. of sigh)
|
cider/sider
|
cite/sight/site
|
cited/sighted/sited
|
clade/clayed (p. of clay)
|
clause/claws
|
clay/claye
|
cleave/cleve
|
cleek/clique
|
clew/clue
|
climb/clime
|
clip/klip
|
clods/clots
|
close/clothes/cloze
|
coal/cole/kohl
|
coarse/course
|
coat/cote
|
coats/cotes
|
coax/cokes
|
coffin/coughing
|
coin/cohen
|
cold/coled (p. of cole)
|
collie/colly
|
come/cum
|
comer/cummer
|
complement/compliment
|
coo/coup
|
coolie/coulis
|
coos/coups
|
council/counsel
|
creak/creek
|
crew/cru
|
crewed(p. of crew)/
crude
|
crews/cruise
|
crowds/Krauts
|
cue/Q/queue
|
cued/cured/queued
|
cur/curr
|
curd/Kurd
|
curs/curse
|
cypress/Cyprus
|
D/dee
|
daffed (p. of daff)/daft
|
dairy/Derry
|
dam/damn
|
dance/dans
|
Dane/deign
|
dat/debt
|
days/daze
|
dear/deer
|
def/deaf
|
den/denn
|
dense/dens
|
desert (v.)/dessert
|
deuce/juice/jus
|
deuce/douce
|
dew/due
|
die/dye
|
died/dyed
|
dies/dyes
|
dine/dyne
|
dire/dyer
|
djinn/gin
|
do(musical note)/doe/dough
|
doc/dock
|
does (plural of doe)/doze
|
done/dun
|
dope/doup
|
dose/doze
|
doubt/dout
|
draft/draught
|
dray/drey
|
dual/duel
|
earn/urn
|
eaves/eves
|
eerie/Erie/eyrie
|
eff/F
|
ensure/insure
|
err/heir
|
ewe/U/you/yew
|
ex/X
|
eyed (v. of eye)/ide
|
fa (musical
note)/fah/far
|
facet/fascet
|
fade/fayed (p. of fay)
|
fai/phi
|
faikes/fakes
|
fain/feign
|
faint/feint
|
fair/fare
|
fairy/ferry
|
falk/fork
|
false/falls
|
farther/father
|
fate/fête
|
fated/fêted (p. of fête)
|
faun/fawn
|
fays/faze/phase
|
faw/for/fore/four
|
fear/feer
|
feat/feet
|
feed/fee'd (p. of fee)
|
fence/fens(pl. of fen)
|
few/phew/whew/feu
|
figs/fix
|
file/phial
|
files/phials
|
fill/Phil
|
filly/Philly
|
fin/Finn
|
find/fined
|
fir/fur
|
fissure/fisher
|
flair/flare
|
flay/fley
|
flea/flee
|
fleas/flees
|
flew (p. of fly)/flu/flue
|
flic/flick
|
flight/flite
|
flour/flower
|
fores/fours
|
forth/fourth
|
foul/fowl
|
franc/Frank
|
freeze/frieze
|
friar/frier
|
G/gee
|
G's/jeez
|
Gael/gale
|
gait/gate
|
gall/Gaul
|
gard/guard
|
gator/gaiter
|
gaud/gawd
|
gauze/gores
|
gaize/gays/gaze
|
genes/jeans
|
gif/giff
|
glair/glare
|
gnap/nap
|
gnome/nome
|
goad/gourd
|
goads/goats
|
goat/gote
|
gored/gourd
|
grade/greyed (p. of grey)
|
grades/grates
|
grate/great
|
grater/greater
|
graze/greys
|
grease/Greece
|
groan/grown
|
guessed/guest
|
haaf/half
|
had (p. of have)/head
|
haft/halved
|
hail/hale
|
hair/hare
|
hall/haul
|
handsome/hansom
|
hangar/hanger
|
hart/heart
|
hate/heit
|
hay/hey
|
hays/haze
|
heal/heel
|
he'd/heed
|
hear/here
|
heard (p. of
hear)/herd
|
herds/hertz
|
herl/hulr
|
heroin/heroine
|
hew/hue
|
hi/hie/high
|
hide/hied
|
higher/hire
|
his/is
|
hissed (p. of hiss)/hist
|
hoar/whore
|
hoard/horde/whored
|
hoarse/horse
|
hoary/whory
|
ho/hoe
|
hock/hough
|
hoes/hose
|
hole/whole
|
hoo/who
|
hoose/whose
|
I'll/isle
|
idle/idol
|
in/inn
|
J/jay
|
jam/jamb
|
job/Job
|
key/quay
|
knag/nag
|
knave/nave
|
knead/need
|
knew/new
|
knick/nick
|
knicker/nicker
|
knife/nife
|
knight/night
|
knit/nit
|
knob/nob
|
knock/nock
|
knot/not
|
know-how/nohow
|
know/no
|
knows/nose/noes
|
kyu/queue
|
L/ell
|
lac/lack
|
lade/laid (p. of lay)
|
laffer/laugher
|
lain (p.p. of lie)/laine/
lane
|
lair/layer
|
lam/lamb
|
lance/launce
|
Laos/louse
|
laps/lapse
|
larch/large
|
laud/lord
|
lava/larva
|
lai/lay/lei/ley
|
lays/laze
|
lea/lee/legh
|
leach/leech
|
lead (n.)/led (p. of
lead)
|
lead(v)/lied(n)
|
leader/lieder
|
leaf/lief
|
leak/leek
|
leant (p. of lean)/lent (p. of lend)
|
leap/leep
|
lease/leas
|
leased (p. of lease)/least
|
lessen/lesson
|
liar/lyre
|
licker/liquor
|
lew/lieu/loo
|
lieus (plural of lieu)/
loos (plural of loo)/lose |
light/lite
|
links/lynx
|
lo/low
|
load/lode
|
loan/lone
|
Loch/lock/lough
|
locks/lox
|
looed(p. of loo)/lewd
|
loot/lute
|
lot/Lot
|
luce/loose
|
ma'am/mam
|
ma/mar
|
macks/max
|
mai/my
|
maid/made (p. of make)
|
mail/male
|
main/Maine/mane
|
mall/maul
|
manner/manor
|
marc/mark
|
mare/mayor
|
Mars/mars
|
maise/maize/mays/
mase/maze
|
me/mi(musical note)
|
mean/mien
|
means/miens
|
meant/-ment
|
meat/meet/mete
|
mew/meu/mu
|
mews/muse
|
might/mite
|
mind/mined (p. of mine)
|
miner/minor
|
missed (p.of miss)/mist
|
mo/mow
|
moan/mone/mown(p.p. of mow)
|
moat/mote
|
mocha/mocker
|
mode/mowed
|
moled (p. of mole)/mould
|
moo/moue
|
mooed (p. of moo)/
moued (p. of moue) |
morn/mourn
|
morning/mourning
|
muscle/mussel
|
nae/nay/neigh/ née
|
naval/navel
|
near/neer
|
none/nun
|
noop/noup
|
O/oh
|
oar/ore
|
off/orfe
|
one/won(p. of win)
|
oued/wed
|
out/owt
|
outer/outta
|
P/pea/pee
|
pa/pah/par
|
paced (p. of pace)/paste
|
packed/pact
|
packs/pax
|
pail/pale
|
pain/pane
|
pained (p. of pain)/
paned (p. of pane) |
pair/pare/pear
|
pall/Paul/pawl
|
pallet/palette/palate
|
pars/parse/pass
|
passed/past
|
pasture/posture
|
patience/patients
|
pause/paws
|
paw/pore/pour
|
pawn/porn
|
peak/peek/pique
|
peal/peel
|
pea/pee
|
peas/pees/pease
|
pecks/pecs
|
peer/pier
|
pend/penned (p. of pen)
|
pendant/pendent
|
per/pare/purr
|
petit/petty
|
petrel/petrol
|
phrase/frays
|
pi/pie
|
pidgin/pigeon
|
pic/pick
|
place/plaice
|
plaid/played (p. of play)
|
plait/plate
|
plaits/plates
|
plain/plane
|
pleas/please
|
polar/poler
|
pole/poll
|
pool/Poole
|
pook/pouk
|
poor/pore/pour
|
plum/plumb
|
praise/prays/preys
|
pray/prey
|
prayed (p. of pray)/
preyed (p. of prey) |
pre/pree
|
pride/pried (p. of pry)
|
pries/prise/prize
|
prince/prints
|
principal/principle
|
pros/prose
|
rack(n)/wrack
|
raid/rayed (p. of ray)
|
rail/rale
|
rain/reign/rein
|
raise/rase/rays/raze
|
raiser/razor
|
rap/wrap
|
rapper/wrapper
|
ratchet/wretched
|
rath/wrath
|
ray/re(musical note)
|
read/reed
|
read (p.p. of read)/ red
|
real/real
|
reck/wreck
|
red/redd
|
reef/reif
|
reek/wreak
|
Reil/rile
|
Reiter/writer
|
retch/wretch
|
rest/wrest
|
Rhodes/roads
|
rhyme/rime
|
rigger/rigour
|
rill/rille
|
ring/wring
|
rins/rinse
|
rise/ryes
|
rit/writ
|
rite/right/write
|
road/rode (p. of ride)/rowed
|
roam/Rome
|
roaster/roster
|
roe/row
|
roes/rose/rows
|
roo/rue
|
rood/rude/
rued (p. of rue)
|
role/roll
|
root/rout/route
|
rooter/router
|
rote/wrote
|
rough/ruff
|
rout/route
|
rues (p. of rue)/ruse
|
rung/
wrung (p. of wring)
|
rye/wry
|
sabling/saibling
|
sac/sack
|
sacks/sax
|
safe/seif
|
sail/ sale
|
sailer/sailor
|
sane/seine
|
sauce/source
|
say/sey
|
scalar/scaler
|
sched/shed
|
scion/sion
|
scull/skull
|
seam/seem
|
seaman/semen
|
sear/seer
|
seas/sees/seize
|
seen (p.p. of
see)/scene
|
sens/sense
|
serf/surf
|
serf/surf
|
serious/Sirius
|
serves/surfs
|
sew/so/sow(v.)
|
sewn(p.p. of sew)/
sown(p.p. of sow) |
shail/shale
|
shake/sheikh
|
shall/shell
|
she/shea
|
shear/sheer
|
shire/shyer
|
shone/shown
|
sic/sick
|
sighs/size
|
sign/sine
|
sink/sync
|
slade/slaid (p. of slide)/
slayed (p. of slay) |
slain (p.p. of slay)/slane
|
slay/sleigh
|
sleight/slight
|
slide/slied (p. of sly)
|
soak/soke
|
soar/sore
|
soared/sword
|
soars/sores
|
sol(musical note)/sole/soul
|
sold (p. of sell)/
soled (p.of sole)/
souled (p.of soul)
|
some/sum
|
son/sun
|
sonny/sunny
|
Sioux/sou/sue
|
souper/super(v)
|
spade/spayed (p. of spay)
|
spear/speer
|
speared/
speered (p. of speer)
|
spec/speck
|
stade/staid/
stayed (p. of stay) |
stair/stare
|
stairs/stares
|
stake/steak
|
stakes/steaks
|
stationary/stationery
|
steel/steal
|
stook/stouk
|
storey/story
|
straight/strait
|
strew/'strue
|
suede/swayed (p. of sway)/suade
|
suite/sweet
|
sundae/Sunday
|
swat/swot
|
T/ti
(musical note)/tea/tee
|
ta/tar
|
tacet/tacit
|
tach/tack
|
tacks/tax
|
tail/tale
|
tailer/tailor
|
tames/Thames
|
tare/tear
|
taught/taut/tort/torte
|
taxes/taxis
|
teaed/teed (p. of tee)
|
team/teem
|
tear/tier
|
teas/tease/tees
|
tends/tents
|
tenor/tenner
|
tic/tick
|
terce/terse
|
Thai/tie/tye
|
than/then
|
they're/there/their
|
threw/through
|
throes/throws
|
throne/thrown (p. of throw)
|
thyme/time
|
tide/tied (p. of tie)/tyed (p. of tye)
|
til/till
|
tire/tyre
|
to/too/two
|
toad/tode/toed (p. of toe)/
towed (p. of tow) |
toaster/towster
|
toe/tow
|
toes/tows
|
tomb/toom
|
ton/tun
|
tongue/tung
|
tons/tuns
|
tool/tulle
|
tor/tore(p. of tear)/
tour
|
tough/tuff
|
trade/treyed
|
trades/traits
|
trail/treille
|
trance/trans-
|
tray/trey
|
trance/trans-
|
tray/trey
|
trews/trues
|
tri/try
|
troop/troupe
|
tweak/tweek
|
vail/veil
|
vain/vane/vein
|
vale/veil
|
vary/very
|
verses/versus
|
via/vier
|
vial/vile/Weil
|
vice/vise
|
vile/Weil
|
wack/whack
|
wacks/wax
|
wade/weighed
|
wail/wale/whale
|
wailer/waler
|
wain/wane
|
waist/waste
|
wait/weight
|
waited/weighted
|
waive/wave
|
waiver/waver
|
war/wore (p. of wear)
|
ward/warred (p. of war)
|
ware/wear/where
|
warn/worn (p. of wear)
|
way/weigh/whey
|
we/wee/whee
|
we'd/weed/weed (p. of wee)
|
we've/weave
|
weak/week
|
weal/wheal/wheel
|
weather/whether
|
weir/we're
|
weld/welled
|
wen/when
|
were/whirr
|
wet/whet
|
what/wot
|
which/witch
|
whist/wist
|
whit/wit
|
white/wight
|
whither/wither
|
why/Y
|
wind (v.)/wined
|
wine/whine
|
wo/woe
|
wont/won't
|
wood/would
|
worst/wurst
|
yaw/yore/your/you're
|
yolk/yoke
|
N.B.
1. Sometimes the
sound isn't exactly the same, as for example in:
low/law, sow/saw, row/raw,
did/deed, seek/sick, lend/land, pen/pan, sit/seat, farther/further, set/sat,
advice/advise, cot/caught/coat, cup/cop/cap,
furrow/farrow/Pharaoh
2. I didn't put on my
list words with the same spelling, although such words are included in the
definition of homophones.
Such words (same
spelling and sound, but different meaning) are also considered as: Homonyms. For example:
1) light ((n.)=that
which evokes the sense of sight) /(adj.)light (=not heavy)
2) state ((n.)=situation
)/state((v.)=to say, to express)
3) sound ((n.)=voice)
/sound((adj.)=healthy)
♥♥♥ A special thanks to:
·
Maureen Seiger
·
Doreen & Peter Bartholomew from Guildford,
UK
·
Shelley
·
Tova
for their
contribution to the list.
