Homophones in words and connected speech.
If a sentence does not make sense, they may have words with similar sounds.
Here are some homophones:
To, too, two; their, there, they’re; your, you’re; hear, here
pair, pear; bare, bear; aloud, allowed; blue, blew; flour, flower; knight, night
piece, peace; sun, son
These words are spelt differently but pronounced the same.
Here are more examples of homophones and how they can cause difficulties in understanding a phrase or sentence:
With all DEW respect. (due)
I mean it in the nicest possible WEIGH. (way)
İt’s knot about being FARE. (not-fair)
The virus gets into the SELLS. (cells)
A PEAR of pants. (pair)
I can still see the HOLE seen. (whole-scene)
Eyewitness testimony carries GRATE WAIT. (great-weight)
It may BARE little resemblance to the truth (bear)
Great eye-grey tie; Known aim-no name; Way cup-wake up
Fork aches-for (four) cakes
Lock tin side-locked inside
In connected speech some sounds change into homophones:
How do ewe thing kit went-How do you think it went
I think we all knee two learn from this-I think we all need to learn from this
We knee to bay rim mined -We need to bear in mind
Here is a paragraph I have created with homophones. You can understand the text either by reading it aloud or exchanging the homophones written in capitals:
This is a story with KNOWN AIM. WISE it SEW? KNOW idea! We KNEE TO BAY RIM MINED that we can learn a lot from life. AISLE explain it soon. TO DAISY GO, I saw a PEAR of BLEW jays flying in the sky. THERE beautiful birds with bright BLEW feathers. I couldn’t HERE their chirping because I was TWO far away from them. I was WHERE RING a PEAR of pants and standing BEARFOOT on the grass, enjoying the warm SON on my skin. It was like HAVEN’T. And how do EWE THING KIT went? Suddenly, I heard ALLOWED noise, and I turned TOO SEA it. It was a big BARE walking towards me with a GREY TIE and GRATE WAIT. I was A LOUD to move slowly and quietly away from it, and I made sure to stay out of its WEIGH. I couldn’t sleep that KNIGHT because I was thinking about the BARE. I can still see the HOLE SEEN. I thought I was LOCK TIN SIDE. I stayed up late reading a book about NIGHTS and THEY’RE adventures. The book was SEW interesting that I RED it ALLOWED to my SUN. He loved the story, and it brought PIECE to his MINED. The next MOURNING, if FEW do KNOT MIME ME saying so, WEAVE gone outside and picked some PAIRS from the tree WITCH was in ARE backyard. WEE used the PAIRS to make a delicious PAIR pie and sprinkled some FLOWER on top and EIGHT it with EYE SCREAM. Then what happens in the story? WEE WAY CUP and enjoy the SON and are happy to have had such a wonderful day. I think we all KNEE TWO learn from this adventure.
ANSWERS
This is a story with NO NAME. WHY’S it SO? NO idea! We NEED TO BEAR IN MIND that we can learn a lot from life. I’LL explain it soon. TWO DAYS AGO, I saw a PAIR of BLUE jays flying in the sky. THEY’RE beautiful birds with bright BLUE feathers. I couldn’t HEAR their chirping because I was TOO far away from them. I was WEARING a PAIR of pants and standing BAREFOOT on the grass, enjoying the warm SUN on my skin. It was like HEAVEN. And how do YOU THINK IT went? Suddenly, I heard A LOUD noise, and I turned TO SEE it. It was a big BEAR walking towards me with a GREAT EYE and GREAT WEIGHT. I was ALLOWED to move slowly and quietly away from it, and I made sure to stay out of its WAY. I couldn’t sleep that NIGHT because I was thinking about the BEAR. I can still see the WHOLE SCENE. I thought I was LOCKED INSIDE. I stayed up late reading a book about KNIGHTS and THEIR adventures. The book was SO interesting that I READ it ALOUD to my SON. He loved the story, and it brought PEACE to his MIND. The next MORNING, if YOU do NOT MIND ME saying so, WE’VE gone outside and picked some PEARS from the tree WHICH was in OUR backyard. WE used the PEARS to make a delicious PEAR pie and sprinkled some FLOUR on top and ATE it with ICE CREAM. Then what happens in the story? WE WAKE UP and enjoy the SUN and are happy to have had such a wonderful day. I think we all NEED TO learn from this adventure.
