Homophones and Homonyms
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These are often confused by adults and children. However once you get to play around with them they are quite easy. Let us first of all look at what they are.
Homophone
Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelt differently.
Homonyms
Homonyms are also words that sound the same but which are spelt the same. However they have different
meanings.
Let's look first of all at homophones
| Sea | Water | See | Using your eyes |
| Right | Opposite of left | Write | To put pen to paper |
| There | Place/location | Their | Belonging to someone |
| Which | A choice of more than one | Witch | Someone who does magic |
| Steel | Made from iron | Steal | Take from someone |
One reason for looking at homophones is because they sometimes cause confusion.
This is often true with there and their.
There is a place or a location.
Whilst their is something that belongs to someone.
Look at the following sentences and see if you know which one to use.
The boys had left (there/their) bikes over (there/their) by the bike shed.
The mother pointed to the bags on the floor and asked "Who has left (there/their) bags (there/their)?"
The boys' had left their bikes over there by the bike shed.
The mother pointed to the bags on the floor and asked. "Who has left their bags there?"
That wasn't too hard was it?
Let us move on to homonyms.
Homonyms
Remember that homonyms are words that sound and are spelt the same, but have different meanings.
Here are some examples:
club ( somewhere to dance)
club ( large, heavy object that people get hit with)
fine ( money you owe for bring things back late)
fine (feeling okay)
rock (a type of music)
rock (made of stone)
What is the difference between a homophone and a
homonym then?
Homophones SOUND the SAME, but are spelt differently.
Homonyms SOUND the SAME, are SPELT the SAME, but have different meanings.
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