Homonyms, Homophones, & Homographs

Homonyms, Homophones, & Homographs (A - B)

Homonym is one of a group of words that share spelling and pronunciation but may have different meanings. Homonyms are simultaneously homographs (words that share the same spelling, regardless of their pronunciation) and homophones (words that share the same pronunciation, regardless of their spelling).

Homographs  (literally "same writing") are usually defined as words that share the same spelling, regardless of how they are pronounced - for example, bark (the sound of a dog) and bark (the skin of a tree).

Homophones (literally "same sound") are usually defined as words that share the same pronunciation, regardless of how they are spelled. The words may be spelled the same, such as rose (flower) and rose (past tense of "rise"), or differently, such as carat, caret, and carrot, or to, two, and too.

accept - take in	except - other than
ad - advertisement	add - join, combine
advice - guidance	advise - recommend
aid - assist, assistance	aide - one who gives assistance
ail - to suffer poor health	ale - a beverage
air - atmosphere	heir - one who inherits property
aisle - a passage	I'll - contraction of I will	isle - island
allusion - an indirect reference	illusion - false appearance
altar - table in a church	alter - to change
ate - past tense of eat	eight - the number 8
bail - to clear water	bail - release of a prisoner	bale - a large bundle
band - a ring, something that binds	band - a group	banned - prohibited
bare - uncovered	bear - large animal	bear - support, yield
bases - starting points	bases - four stations on a baseball field	basis - a basic principle
beat - to strike, overcome	beat - exhausted	beet - a plant with red roots
blew - past tense of blow	blue - the color
bread - baked food item	bred - produced
buy - purchase	by - near, through	bye - goodbye
capital - punishable by death	capital - chief city	capitol - building where legislature meets
ceiling - top of a room	sealing - setting, fastening
cell - small unit	sell - to give up for money
cent - a penny	scent - an odor	sent - past tense of send
chews - gnaws with teeth	choose - to select
cite - mention, quote	sight - vision	site - place
coarse - rough	course - path, procedure
complement - make complete	compliment - praise
conduct - behavior	conduct - to lead
council - assembly	counsel - advice, to advise
days - plural of day	daze - stun
dear - loved one, valued	deer - the animal
desert - to abandon	desert - dry land	dessert - after-dinner treat
die - expire	dye - color
discreet - tactful	discrete - distinct
dual - double	duel - fight
elicit - draw out	illicit - illegal
eminent - distinguished	imminent - soon
fair - pleasing, impartial	fair - gathering, exhibition	fare - fee for transportation
find - locate	fined - charged (past tense of fine)
fir - a pine tree	fur - a coat or covering
flea - insect	flee - to escape
flour - milled wheat	flower - plant
for - (preposition)	fore - front, forward	four - the number 4
foreword - preface	forward - related to direction
grate - to irritate	grate - a frame	great - large, superior
groan - moan	grown - matured
hall - auditorium, dormitory	haul - to carry
hear - listen	here - this place
higher - taller, more advanced	hire - to employ
hoarse - rough sounding	horse - the animal
its - (possessive pronoun)	it's - it is
jam - to force or block	jam - jelly	jamb - part of a door or window
know - to understand	no - negative
lead - the metal	lead - to direct	led - past tense of lead (directed)
lessen - to decrease	lesson - an example or unit of instruction
lie - to recline	lie - tell an untruth	lye - used in making soap
meat - food	meet - to encounter	mete - to give out
miner - a worker in a mine	minor - someone under legal age	minor - lesser or smaller
missed - past tense of miss	mist - a light rain
one - the number 1	won - past tense of win
pail - a container	pale - not bright or colorful
pair - two of something	pare - remove, cut back	pear - the fruit
passed - past form of pass	past - a previous time	past - (preposition)
patience - endurance	patients - people under medical care
peace - absence of conflict	piece - a portion
plain - treeless land	plain - simple, unadorned	plane - aircraft
poor - lacking possessions	pore - to read carefully	pour - to cause to flow
principal - main, most important	principal - head of a school	principle - rule
profit - gain	prophet - someone who foretells events
raise - lift	rays - beams of light	raze - demolish
rap - knock	rap - hip-hop	wrap - cover, conceal
role - character, part	roll - to move forward	roll - a portion of bread
sail - fabric used to move a ship	sale - the act of selling
scene - setting or a part of a play	seen - past participle of see
seam - a line formed by joining two pieces	seem - to appear
shear - to cut	sheer - transparent
soar - to rise or fly	sore - hurt
stair - step	stare - gaze
stake - pointed piece of wood	steak - a slice of beef
stationary - unmoving	stationery - writing materials
tail - rear part	tale - story
team - group	teem - to be present in large quantity
threw - past tense of throw	through - (preposition)
tide - rising and falling of water	tied - fastened
vain - conceited, fruitless	vane - device for showing wind direction	vein - a blood vessel, streak, or crack
waist - mid-section of the body	waste - to spend, wear away
way - a course or manner	weigh - to measure
weak - frail, not strong	week - seven days
weather - atmospheric conditions	whether - if
whine - complain	wine - an alcoholic drink