Homonyms in English that are often confused
About course
In the English language, many words sound or look alike but they have completely different meanings. These are called homonyms. They are a reason for many mistakes, even for those who speak the language rather well. Confusion with such words can interfere with both spoken and written communication, so it’s important to be able to distinguish between them and express yourself clearly.
Our course will help you understand 16 of the most commonly confused word pairs. Each pair comes with audio so you can hear the differences in pronunciation, as well as explanations. We use the method of associations to make it easier and more interesting to remember the differences.
After memorizing, we will practice the distinction between homonyms through interactive exercises, while flashcards will help reinforce the correct spelling and pronunciation.
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Level:
Intermediate
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120 minutes
- 4 lessons
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Teacher's language:
Ukrainian
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Interactive exercises
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Audio
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Flashcards
Course program
4 LESSONS
PART 1:
• beside VS besides
• lose VS loose
• in | into VS on | onto
PART 2:
• desert VS dessert
• beer VS bear
• beard VS bird
• piece VS peace
PART 3:
• this VS these
• then VS than
• other VS another
• accept VS except
PART 4:
• break VS brake
• advice VS advise
• worse VS worth
• bye VS buy
Exercises
32 interactive exercises (8 per lesson) to practice distinguishing between homonyms.
Flashcards
Flashcards to help you finally remember how these words are correctly spelled and pronounced.
Who is this course for
The course is suitable for beginners and intermediate level.
The course can also be useful for you if you know English well, but constantly make mistakes in these simple words.
This course is for those who like the association method and don't like learning anything by heart.
This course will also be useful for teachers. You will be able to simply and clearly explain to your students the spelling of words that everyone gets confused about.
What will you get after the course
You will learn to distinguish all 16 commonly confused word pairs and will remember how they are correctly spelled and pronounced.
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Level:
Intermediate
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120 minutes
- 4 lessons
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Teacher's language:
Ukrainian
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Interactive exercises
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Audio
-
Flashcards
"Knight" – "night," "write" – "right" – you may remember these and other pairs of similar words from English language lessons in school. Even then, this topic didn’t seem easy, so what about studying more about homonyms in English? If English plays a role in your life, confusion over homonyms might lead to an awkward situation when fluent English users or, especially, native speakers simply won’t understand you. That’s why, in this course, we thoroughly break down popular similar-sounding words in English that you’re bound to come across.
Homonyms in English
Homonyms are words that sound or look identical or very similar, but they have completely different meanings. Such words exist in every language worldwide, and English is no exception. However, an interesting question is why homonyms developed specifically in English. There are three main reasons, as some suggest.
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Differences in accents
Native English speakers have an interesting tendency to shorten words. It’s no surprise that some of these shortened words strongly resemble other words in pronunciation or spelling.
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Active borrowing from Latin and French
If you look closely, many English words echo other languages. The well-known "restaurant" and "cafe" are filled with French charm, and abbreviations like "etc." (et cetera) and "e.g." (exempli gratia) were obviously borrowed from Latin.
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Loss of phonetic forms
Over time, some words took on new forms and became "new" words, but their meaning remained the same.
Types of Homonyms
Homonyms in English are divided into several types, from homophones to homographs. Check out the full list below.
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Absolute Homonyms
These are words that are spelled and pronounced identically but have completely different meanings. These twin words can easily confuse a speaker, but always paying attention to the sentence context will make everything clear.
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Can (v) |
To be able to do something |
Can (n) |
A container, typically metal, for food or drinks |
|
Book (v) |
To reserve or arrange (e.g., a seat, room, etc.) |
Book (n) |
A bound collection of pages, typically with text |
|
Sink (v) |
To go down below the surface (e.g., water) |
Sink (n) |
A basin, usually with a drain, used in kitchens or bathrooms |
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Homophones
Homophones are words that sound the same or almost the same but differ in spelling and meaning.
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Son (n) |
[sʌn] |
Male child of a parent |
Sun (n) |
[sʌn] |
The star that provides Earth's light and heat |
|
Dear (adj) |
[dɪə] |
Beloved or cherished |
Deer (n) |
[dɪə] |
A woodland animal with antlers |
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Piece (n) |
[piːs] |
A part or segment of a whole |
Peace (n) |
[piːs] |
A state of tranquility or absence of conflict |
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Homographs
Another category of homonyms are homographs – words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently and, of course, have different meanings. They are easily recognized in spoken language by different stresses, but in writing, it’s important to rely on sentence context.
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Content (n) |
/ˈkɒn.tent/ |
The material or information in a text or media |
Content (adj) |
/kənˈtent/ |
Satisfied or pleased |
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Close (adj) |
/kləʊs/ |
Nearby in space or relation |
Close (v) |
/kləʊz/ |
To shut or seal something |
|
Object (v) |
/əbˈdʒekt/ |
To express disapproval |
Object (n) |
/ˈɒb.dʒɪkt/ |
A thing that can be seen or touched |
Paronyms (false homonyms)
The interesting name for such words comes from the fact that paronyms, or false homonyms, are words that are slightly similar in spelling or pronunciation but are not identical and have completely different meanings.
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Affect |
To influence or change something |
Effect |
A result or outcome |
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Assay |
A test or analysis |
Essay |
A short piece of writing on a subject |
|
Dessert |
A sweet course served after a meal |
Desert |
A dry, barren landscape |
10 Common homonyms in English
The English language has many examples of homonyms, but there are some you’ll definitely encounter even at beginner levels. We’ve gathered 10 of the most well-known, in our opinion, words that are easy to mix up. Get familiar with the most common and popular homonyms in English.
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No |
Know |
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Hi! |
High |
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Weak |
Week |
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By |
Bye! |
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Hare |
Hair |
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Steal |
Still |
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Here |
Hear |
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Two |
Too |
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Write |
Right |
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Cell |
Sell |
Learning to distinguish homonyms with the Booyya Course
To dive deeper into similar-sounding words in English and learn to distinguish homonyms, we offer courses from the Booyya marketplace and experienced English teachers. We’ve created 4 mini-courses, each focusing on 4 pairs of different homonyms, where you will find:
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4 lessons with pairs of twin words;
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interactive exercises to reinforce what you’ve learned;
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interesting videos with tips on handling homonyms.
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