Homophones list
Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and mean different things, like sea and see or there, their and they're. This list gives each word in a short example so the meaning shows which spelling to use.
Free printable PDF, 2nd grade to 5th grade.
One page, black and white, prints the same every time.
What is on the sheet
The ones to learn first
| Words | Examples |
|---|---|
| to, too, two | go to school; me too; two cats |
| there, their, they're | over there; their house; they're here (they are) |
| your, you're | your coat; you're late (you are) |
| its, it's | the dog wagged its tail; it's raining (it is) |
| hear, here | hear a bird; come here |
| no, know | no, thank you; I know the answer |
| right, write | turn right; write a note |
| by, buy, bye | sit by me; buy some milk; wave bye |
More homophones
| Words | Examples |
|---|---|
| see, sea | see a bird; swim in the sea |
| one, won | one cat; we won the game |
| for, four | a gift for you; four legs |
| eight, ate | eight days; we ate lunch |
| blue, blew | a blue sky; the wind blew |
| new, knew | new shoes; I knew it |
| sun, son | the hot sun; her son |
| meet, meat | meet a friend; meat and rice |
| road, rode | cross the road; she rode a bike |
| night, knight | stars at night; a knight on a horse |
| flower, flour | pick a flower; bake with flour |
| bear, bare | a brown bear; bare feet |
| pair, pear | a pair of socks; eat a pear |
| tail, tale | a dog's tail; a fairy tale |
| hole, whole | dig a hole; the whole class |
| week, weak | seven days in a week; a weak signal |
| peace, piece | peace and quiet; a piece of cake |
| plane, plain | fly in a plane; plain toast |
| break, brake | break a cup; press the brake |
| aloud, allowed | read aloud; no dogs allowed |
Telling homophones apart
Because homophones sound the same, the ear cannot help. The meaning has to choose the spelling. Read the sentence, decide what the word means there, and find that meaning on the list: in "I can see the boat," see means look, so it is see and not sea.
The first table is the sets with a contraction in them, plus a few of the most common words in English. For a contraction, try saying the two words it stands for. "They're going home" still makes sense as "they are going home," so they're is right. "They are coat" does not, so it must be their coat.
Homophones by grade
2nd and 3rd grade meet the common sets in their own writing and in spelling lists. 4th grade is asked to use the frequently confused words correctly, such as to, too and two or there and their (CCSS L.4.1g), and 5th grade keeps them right in longer writing.
Common questions
- What is the difference between a homophone and a homonym?
- A homophone sounds like another word but is spelled differently, as sea and see are. A homonym is often used for words spelled and said the same with different meanings, like a baseball bat and a bat that flies. Some books use homonym for both.
- Why are which and witch not on the list?
- In most American speech they sound the same, but some people say the wh in which with a breath of air, so they are not homophones for everyone. The list keeps to sets that sound alike for nearly all speakers.