Homophones (Similar Sounds) [Different Meanings]

8/10/2019 Homophones (Similar Sounds) [Different Meanings]

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1/13/14 Homophones: Words with similar sounds but different meanings

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Homophones

Words that sound alike or nearly alike but have different meanings

accept

except

Acceptmeans to receive. Exceptmeans to exclude.

e.g. Everyone except Joaquin accepted her apology.

advice

advise

Adviceis a noun (which rhymes with ice) and adviseis a verb (which

rhymes with lies).

e.g. I need your advice.

I advise you to bring bott led water.

affect

effect

Affectis a verb which means to influence. Effectis a noun which means

the outcome or result. When used as a verb, effectmeans to produce

a result.

e.g. The injury wont affect her performance.

The song had a calming effect on the baby.

The medicine effec ted a complete recovery.

all ready already

All readymeans completely prepared or that everyone or everything is

prepared.Alreadymeans before the time specified.

e.g. We were all ready for the results.

I ate already.

allude

elude

Alludemeans to refer indirectly or casually. Eludemeans to avoid orescape.

e.g. Writers often allude to Shakespeare.

The bandits continue to elude the police.

allusion

illusion

An allusionis an indirect or casual reference. An illusionis false idea or

image.

amoral

immoral

Amoralmeans either not subject to or lacking moral distinctions. For

instance, logic or pure mathematics can be seen as amoral. Immoral

means violating conscience or public morality: plagiarism and other kinds

of cheating are immoral. Note that ethicalis the term to use when

referring to practices in professions.

ante-

anti-

Anteis a prefix meaning before or in front of.Antiis a prefix meaning

hostile to or against.

e.g. anteroom, antecedent

antiwar, antipathy

are

our

Areis the form of to be used with you, we, and they. Ouris a

possessive pronoun that means belonging to us.

e.g. Our dogs are fast.

beside

besides

Besideis a preposition that means next to. As a preposition, besides

means in addition to or other than; as an adverb, besidesmeans

also or moreover.

e.g. The notepad was beside the telephone.

They offer many flavours besides vanilla.

Im want to go to sleep; besides, its late.

choose

chose

Choosemeans to select and rhymes with booze. Choseis the past-

tense form of this verb and rhymes with suppose.

e.g. Yesterday I chose pasta but today I choose rice.

complement

Complementmeans to complete and complimentmeans to express

praise. Complimentaryis an adjective that means free of charge.


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compliment e.g. They complimented her on the sash that complemented her

dress.

conscience

conscientious

conscious

Conscience(a noun) is the recognition of right and wrong.

Conscientiousis an adjective that means careful or thorough.

Conscious(adj.) means awake or aware.

e.g. Sharon was conscious that Martys conscience was

troubled, but she conscientiously avoided asking him about it.

decent

descent

dissent

Decentis an adjective that connotes propriety or respectability.

Descent refers to a plunge downwards or to ancestry. Dissentmeans

disagreement.

desert

dessert

As a verb, desertmeans to abandon; as a noun, desertrefers to a

barren place. Dessertis the last course of a meal.

discreet

discrete

Discreetmeans tactful or prudent and can connote secrecy.

Discretemeans distinct or separate.

elicit

illicit

The verb elicitmeans to draw forth. The adjective illicitmeans

illegal.

faze

phase

Faze, meaning to worry or disconcert is a slang term that you

shouldnt use in formal essays. Phasehas a number of specialised

scientific meanings, but tends to refer to a stage in a process.

have

of

off

Ofis often mistaken for the sound of havein compound verb tenses.

e.g. they must have been, would have been

Do not use of after off in phrases like: They walked off the field,

jumped off the bed, etc.

human

humane

Humancan be a noun referring to a person and is preferred to man or

mankind because it is inclusive. As an adjective, humanrefers to the

qualities of the human race. Humaneis an adjective that refers to

kindness, benevolence, sympathy, or civilisation.

immanentimminent

eminent

Eminentmeans distinguished. Imminentmeans about to happen.

Immanentmeans pervading or existing within.

e.g. He was an eminent scholar.

The exam period is imminent.

The rooms immanent tension made her anxious.

its

its

Itsis a possessive pronoun, meaning belonging to it. Itsis a

contraction, meaning it is. Avoid using contractions in formal essays.

e.g. The dog scratched its ear.

Its a lovely day.

lose

loose

Loseis a verb that rhymes with news. Looseis chiefly an adjective

and rhymes with moose.

e.g. Dont lose your mittens.

My winter clothes are loose.

may be

maybe

May beis a verb phrase. Maybeis an adjective.

e.g. You may be right.

Maybe you are right.

nauseous

nauseated

Nauseousmeans producing nausea and nauseatedmeans enduring

nausea.

e.g. The nauseous smell of garbage left me feeling nauseated.

persecute

prosecute

Persecutemeans to harass, maltreat, or oppress. Prosecutecan mean

to carry out or to take legal action against.

precedeToprecedeis to go ahead of. Toproceedis to go forward.


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proceed

predominant

predominate

Predominantmeans superior in power, effectiveness, number, or

degree. Predominatemeans to be in control, to prevail or to be

superior.

e.g. She was the predominant competitor.

She predominated over the meet ing.

principal

principle

As an adjective,principalmeans chief or primary. As a noun,

principalmeans the chief official and may also mean the capital.

The nounprinciplemeans a fundamental truth.

respectable

respectful

respective

Respectablemeans deserving of respect. Respectfulmeans showing

respect. Respectivemeans relating to each and connotes relativity.

e.g. 70% is a respectable grade.

Each daughter was respectful to her respective mother.

than

then

Thanis used to make comparisons whereas thenrefers to a point in

time.

theirthere

theyre

Theiris the possessive form of they. Theremeans in that place.

Theyremeans they are: since it is a contraction, it should not be

used in formal essays.

e.g. Theyre waiting for their tickets over there.

though

thorough threw

through

Thoughmeans however or despite the fact.Thoroughmeans

completely done.Threwis the past tense of to throw. Through

indicates movement from one side to another.

e.g. They ate though they werent hungry.

She made thorough revisions to her draft.

He threw a ball.

She searched through the house for her socks.

to

too

two

Tois a preposition. Toois an adverb meaning excessively and twois

a number.

e.g. It was too late in the evening to watch two movies.

whos

whose

As a contraction, whos(an abbreviated form of who is) should not

appear in formal essays. Whoseindicates possession: Whose book is

this?

youre

your

Youreis another contraction, meaning you are. Yourmeans

belonging to you.

e.g. Youre showing your fear.

Homophones (Similar Sounds) [Different Meanings]

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