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Confusing English words

Words that sound the same

Homophones like their, there and they're: words you say the same way but spell differently and use for different things.

Word pairs

  1. 1Their vs There vs They'reUse their for possession (their house), there for a place or "there is", and they're only as a short form of "they are".their /ðeə/there /ðeə/they're /ðeə/
  2. 2Your vs You'reUse your to show something belongs to you (your bag) and you're only as a short form of "you are".your /jɔː/you're /jɔː/
  3. 3Its vs It'sUse its for possession (the cat licked its paw) and it's only as a short form of "it is" or "it has".its /ɪts/it's /ɪts/
  4. 4To vs Too vs TwoUse to for direction or before a verb, too for "also" or "more than enough", and two for the number 2.to /tuː/too /tuː/two /tuː/
  5. 5Whose vs Who'sUse whose to ask or say who owns something (whose bag?) and who's only as a short form of "who is" or "who has".whose /huːz/who's /huːz/
  6. 6Affect vs EffectUse affect as a verb (to change something) and effect as a noun (the result).affect /əˈfekt/effect /ɪˈfekt/
  7. 7Accept vs ExceptUse accept as a verb meaning to agree or receive, and except to mean "not including".accept /əkˈsept/except /ɪkˈsept/
  8. 8Weather vs WhetherUse weather for rain, sun and temperature, and whether when talking about a choice or doubt, like "if".weather /ˈweðə/whether /ˈweðə/
  9. 9Break vs BrakeUse break for damaging something or a short rest, and brake for the part that stops a car or bike.break /breɪk/brake /breɪk/
  10. 10Peace vs PieceUse peace for calm or no war, and piece for a part of something, like a piece of cake.peace /piːs/piece /piːs/
  11. 11Principal vs PrincipleUse principal for "main" or a head teacher, and principle for a rule or belief.principal /ˈprɪnsəpl/principle /ˈprɪnsəpl/
  12. 12Stationary vs StationeryUse stationary (with a) to mean not moving, and stationery (with e) for paper, pens and envelopes.stationary /ˈsteɪʃənri/stationery /ˈsteɪʃənri/
  13. 13Complement vs ComplimentUse complement when things go well together, and compliment for saying something nice about someone.complement /ˈkɒmplɪment/compliment /ˈkɒmplɪmənt/
  14. 14Hear vs HereUse hear for sounds you notice with your ears, and here for this place.hear /hɪə/here /hɪə/
  15. 15Write vs RightUse write for putting words on paper or a screen, and right for correct, or the opposite of left.write /raɪt/right /raɪt/
  16. 16Buy vs By vs ByeUse buy for paying for something, by for near, how or who did it, and bye as a short form of goodbye.buy /baɪ/by /baɪ/bye /baɪ/
  17. 17Know vs NoUse know for having information in your head, and no as a negative answer or to mean "not any".know /nəʊ/no /nəʊ/
  18. 18Wear vs WhereUse wear for having clothes or glasses on your body, and where to ask or talk about a place.wear /weə/where /weə/
  19. 19Flour vs FlowerUse flour for the white powder used in baking, and flower for the colourful part of a plant.flour /ˈflaʊə/flower /ˈflaʊə/
  20. 20Allowed vs AloudUse allowed when something is permitted, and aloud when you say or read something so others can hear.allowed /əˈlaʊd/aloud /əˈlaʊd/