A List of Common Homophones

Homophones are a group (pairs, triplets) of words that sound alike, and pronounced alike, but are spelled completely different and have different meanings. Some people also call homophones, homonyms, but there is much controversy of the true denotation of the two words, for this reason I have chosen to use the word homonym. Some of these words may have other meanings that I have not included.

Because of the identical intonation of homophones, many people easily misuse words, it is important to pick words carefully otherwise what a person is writing will either become misinterpreted or just not make any sense. Discerning homophones make it easy to avoid grammatical errors in resumes, essays, or reports, and in the professional workplace, a person may not be taken seriously if they can not correctly discern between the number two and the preposition to.

To, two, too

To - a (preposition,) indicating direction, destination or position of someone or something.
She went to the store.

Two- (noun) the number two
My daughter is two years old.

Too- (adverb) As well, more than is desirable, extremely
You can come too.
He is too shy for me.
She is only too aware of how these absences will affect her grades.

Altar-(noun) A raised ceremonial structure or Communion table
We will walk to the altar when the music plays.
The preacher will now take his place at the altar.

Alter-(verb) to adjust garment for a better fit, or to make a change to something or someone.
I will alter your dress because it is much too big around your waist.
You will have to alter your speech, because it is too long.

Bear-(noun) a large type of furry animal
We went camping and we seen a black blear.

Bare- (adjective) not covered, without decoration, simple or essential, to expose or reveal
We all came into this world bare.
The entire room was bare.
The instructions are bare.
The bear bared its teeth.
"Yes our teeth and ambitions are bared be prepared!"

Ate-(verb) to have consumed something.
I ate the entire box of pizza.

Eight- (noun) the written number.
We will need eight desks and chairs.

Break- (verb) to physically damage something in to pieces
Be careful not to shake the shelf so that the glass won't break.

Brake (noun) - a mechanism that slows or stops the machine
Look out for those people, put on your brakes!

Sell- (verb) to persuade someone to purchase an item, to exchange an item for money
She is going to sell all of her porcelain dolls.

Cell- (noun) a place to hold a prisoner, basic unit of life
The prisoner's cell only has a mattress and a toilet.
Cells can be found in all living things.

There, their, they're

There- (adverb) to state location, place
The apple tree is over there behind the fence.
You will stand over there when the music plays.

Their- (pronoun) meaning belonging to them
Their coats are very expensive.

They're - a contraction that means they are
They're leaving tomorrow.

Seam - (noun) a part in clothing where pieces of cloth are joined
Look at how neatly I stitched the seam.

Seem- (verb) to appear to be something
The young girl was jut talking to me; she did not seem to be upset.

Weight - (noun) pounds, measure of someone or something's mass
I weight 30 pounds more than last month.

Wait- (verb) to stop for someone in order for them to catch up, to stay with someone for a period of time, to anticipate something, to stay in a certain area until someone shows up.

Wait for me to catch up to you!
I will wait with you until you feel better.
I can not wait t go to the concert!
I will wait for you until sunset.

Tow- (verb) to pull something or someone along
The man will use his truck to tow our car.

Toe-(noun) a bony structure part of the human foot
I broke my toe playing kickball.