Homophones
Phonics and Sounds: Homophones
Homophones
Homophones
What you'll learn
- Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings (to, too, two).
- Choosing the right homophone depends on the meaning of the sentence, not the sound.
- Common homophone pairs: there/their/they're, here/hear, write/right, sea/see, know/no.
Key concepts
Level 1 — Common pairs
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| there | a place |
| their | belonging to them |
| they're | short for 'they are' |
| here | in this place |
| hear | to sense sound |
Level 2 — Choosing the right word
Read the whole sentence first, then pick the homophone that matches the meaning, not just the sound.
Level 3 — Tricky pairs
write/right, sea/see, flour/flower, know/no, blue/blew — these look and sound different in spelling but are pronounced the same.
NCERT anchor: Marigold 4 (CBSE English reader) — spelling and word-meaning exercises.
Worked example
Choose the correct word: We waited for an ___ (hour/our).
Step 1 — 'Hour' means 60 minutes; 'our' means belonging to us.
Step 2 — The sentence talks about waiting for a period of time.
Answer: hour
Choose the correct word: The lion shook its golden ___ (main/mane).
Step 1 — 'Main' means most important; 'mane' is the hair around a lion's neck.
Step 2 — The sentence is about the lion's hair.
Answer: mane
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Mixing up there/their/they're | They sound identical | Learn: there = place, their = belonging, they're = they are |
| Choosing a homophone that sounds right but means wrong | Not reading the full sentence | Check the meaning fits the sentence |
| Confusing write/right or know/no | Similar sounds, different spelling | Remember key example sentences for each word |
Quick check
- Fill in: I ___ (know/no) the answer.
- Fill in: Please ___ (write/right) your name.
- Which is correct: 'their/there' going to school?
- Stretch: Write one sentence each correctly using 'flour' and 'flower'.
Revision tip: Make a homophone chart with a picture clue for each tricky word pair.
Open the Practice tab for graded questions on Homophones.
Key Takeaways (TL;DR)
- What you'll learn
- Key concepts
- Worked example
- Common mistakes
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