It’s pretty common to hear a word and find out later that it has a different spelling or meaning. It’s also pretty embarrassing if you’re caught on that mishap, especially if you’re writing it professionally and distributing it as a PDF. But sometimes, you just can’t help it because there are really some words that sound the same. These confusing words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings and spellings have a name and it's called homophones.
What are homophones?
According to the Oxford dictionary, homophones are “two or more words having the same pronunciation but different meanings, origins, or spelling.” Each set of words provide the same sound or group of sounds but aren’t necessarily synonymous. For example, the words new and knew both sounds the same but the meaning of the first word connotes being the first time to exist while the second word means being aware of. Both have different spellings and different meanings but they are both pronounced the same way, which can lead to confusion and misinterpretation if not used correctly.
Correct yourself!
In the English dictionary, there are plenty of homophone pairs that may really confuse an individual so to help you correct your content and have the perfect PDF, we’ve compiled a list of common words that you may possibly encounter. These well-known words can confuse you or your reader so be sure to use the right one!
|
Word |
Meaning |
Homophone |
Meaning |
|
Air |
Gaseous substance |
Heir |
A person entitled to property |
|
Aisle |
Passage |
Isle |
Small island |
|
Ante- |
Before |
Anti- |
Against |
|
Eye |
Part of the body to see |
I |
Referring to self |
|
Bear |
Animal |
Bare |
Without addition |
|
Be |
Take place |
Bee |
Insect |
|
Break |
To separate |
Brake |
To stop |
|
Buy |
Spending |
By |
Identifying person |
|
Cell |
Smallest structural unit in an organism |
Sell |
Giving in exchange for money |
|
Cent |
Money |
Scent |
Something you smell |
|
Cereal |
Food |
Serial |
Identifying number |
|
Coarse |
Rough |
Course |
Path or way |
|
Complement |
What completes it |
Compliment |
To praise |
|
Dam |
A barrier |
Damn |
Condemned |
|
Dear |
Regarded with deep affection |
Deer |
An animal |
|
Die |
End of life |
Dye |
Substance to color |
|
Fair |
Equal |
Fare |
Fee of passengers |
|
Fir |
Tree |
Fur |
Soft hair of animals |
|
For |
Used to indicate who is given |
Four |
Number |
|
Hair |
Part of the body |
Hare |
Animal |
|
Heal |
Cure |
Heel |
Back part of foot |
|
Hear |
Be told |
Here |
Place or position |
|
Him |
Boy person |
Hymn |
Religious song |
|
Hole |
Hallow place |
Whole |
Entire/all of it |
|
Hour |
Time |
Our |
Belonging |
|
Idle |
Avoiding work |
Idol |
Admired person |
|
In |
Enclosed around |
Inn |
Establishment for accommodation |
|
Knight |
Soldier in armor |
Night |
Period of darkness |
|
Knot |
Fasten |
Not |
Negative clause |
|
Know |
Aware |
No |
Negatiev response |
|
Made |
Past tense of make |
Maid |
Person who cleans |
|
|
Letters and packages |
Male |
Man / Boy |
|
Meat |
Flesh |
Meet |
Organized event |
|
Morning |
Time between midnight and noon |
Mourning |
Sad |
|
None |
Nothing |
Nun |
Member of religious group |
|
Oar |
Used to row a boat |
Or |
Linking alternatives |
|
One |
Number |
Won |
Success |
|
Pair |
Two |
Pear |
Fruit |
|
Peace |
Freedom from disturbance |
Piece |
A part |
|
Plain |
Not decorated |
Plane |
Airborne object |
|
Poor |
Lacking money |
Pour |
Flow |
|
Pray |
Solemn request |
Prey |
Animal that is hunted |
|
Principal |
First and important |
Principle |
Foundation for system of belief |
|
Profit |
Financial gain |
Prophet |
Teacher |
|
Real |
Existing |
Reel |
A cylinder where things are wound |
|
Right |
Correct / position |
Write |
Mark on a surface |
|
Sail |
Wind catching apparatus |
Sale |
Item in exchange for money |
|
Sea |
Water |
See |
Visual representation |
|
Seam |
A line on fabric when sewn together |
Seem |
Given the impression |
|
Sight |
Seeing |
Site |
Area or ground |
|
Sew |
Join |
So |
An adverb or conjunction |
|
Sole |
Part of foot |
Soul |
Spiritual |
|
Some |
Unspecified amount |
Sum |
Total |
|
Son |
Male child |
Sun |
A Atar |
|
Stair |
Set of steps |
Stare |
To look |
|
Stationary |
Not moving |
Stationery |
Paper |
|
Steal |
Get without permission |
Steel |
A strong alloy |
|
Suite |
A set of rooms |
Sweet |
Sugary taste |
|
Tail |
Part of an animal |
Tale |
Story |
|
Their |
Belonging |
There |
Place or position |
|
To |
In the direction of |
Too |
Excessive |
|
Toe |
Part of a foot |
Tow |
To pull a vehicle |
|
Waist |
Part of a body below the ribs |
Waste |
Excess without purpose or trash |
|
Wait |
Delay action |
Weight |
Body mass |
|
Way |
Path |
Weigh |
Find out how heavy |
|
Weak |
Lacking power |
Week |
Period of seven days |
|
Wear |
To have on a body |
Where |
Place or position |
So now that you’ve actually read through the whole article, you can now say you can understand and create more effective PDF documents!
