SPG: Common Homonyms

The SPG test will have a new addition starting next week and every week thereafter. Below are some of the most common homonyms that people misuse in English writing. Every week, you will listen to three sentences using three different words from the list below respectively. Study them.

aisle - walkway
I’ll – I will
isle - island

allowed - permitted
aloud – out loud

ant – picnic pest
aunt – relative, as in your mom’s sister

arc - curve
ark – Noah’s boat

ate – chewed up and swallowed
eight – number after seven

bare - uncovered
bear – grizzly animal

berry – fruit from a bush
bury – to put underground

base – bottom part
bass – deep or low

be – to exist
bee – buzzing insect

beach – sandy shore
beech – type of tree

beat - to pound
beet – type of edible plant

berth – tie up
birth – to be born

bite - nibble
byte – 8 bits (computer data)

blew – past of blow
blue – color of ocean

boar - pig
bore – not interesting bore - to drill

borough – area or district
burrow – dig through
burro – small donkey

bough - branch
bow – bend or curtsy

buoy - floater
boy – young man

brake – stop pedal
break – smash

bread – bakery food
bred – form of breed

broach - mention
brooch - pin

brows - eyebrows
browse – look around

buy - purchase
by - beside
by - originating from,BR. bye – short for goodbye

cell – compartment
sell - vend

cent – penny coin
sent – did send

cereal – breakfast food
serial - sequential

Chile – country in South America
chili – bean stew
chilly – frosty

chord – musical tone
cord - rope

cite - quote
site - location
sight - view

close – opposite of open
clothes - clothing

complement – enhance; go together
compliment - praise

council - committee
counsel - guidance

creak - squeak
creek – stream of water

crews - gangs
cruise – ride on a boat

dear - darling
deer – woodland animal

dew – morning mist
do - operate
due - payable

die – cease to exist
dye - color

doe – female dear
dough – uncooked bread

dual - double
duel - battle

ewe – female sheep
you - second-person personal pronoun

eye – sight organ
I - me

fair - equal
fare - price

fairy – elflike creature with wings
ferry - boat

faze - impact
phase - stage

feat – achievement
feet – plural of foot

fir – type of tree
fur – animal hair

flea – small biting insect
flee - run

flew – did fly
flu – illness

flour – powdery, ground up grain
flower – blooming plant

for – on behalf of
fore - front
four – one more than three

forth - onward
fourth – number four

knew – did know
new – not old

gorilla – big ape
guerrilla - warrior

grease - fat
Greece – country in Europe

groan - moan
grown – form of grow

hair – head covering
hare – rabbit-like animal

hall - passageway
haul - tow

halve – cut in two parts
have - possess

hay – animal food
hey – interjection to get attention

heal - mend
heel – back of foot

hi - hello
high – up far

hoarse - croaky
horse – riding animal

hole - opening
whole - entire

holey – full of holes
holy - divine
wholly - entirely

hour – sixty minutes
our – belonging to us

knead - massage
need - desire

knight – feudal horseman
night - evening

knot – tied rope
not - negative

know – have knowledge
no – opposite of yes

lead – metal
led - was the leader

lessen – make smaller
lesson - class

loan - lend
lone - solitary

made – did make
maid - servant

mail - postage
male – opposite of female

marry – to wed
merry – very happy

meat – animal protein
meet - encounter

none – not any
nun – woman who takes special vows

oar – boat paddle
or - otherwise
ore - mineral

oh – expression of surprise or awe
owe – be obligated

one - single
won – did win

overdo – do too much
overdue – past due date

pail - bucket
pale – not bright

pain - hurt
pane – window glass

peace - calm
piece - segment

peak – highest point
peek - glance

plain - ordinary
plane – flight machine plane - flat surface

pole - post
poll - survey

poor – not rich
pour – make flow

pray – implore God
prey - quarry

principal – most important
principle - belief

rain – water from sky
rein - bridle

rap - tap
wrap – drape around

real - factual
reel - roll

right – correct; not left
write - scribble

ring - encircle
wring - squeeze

role - function
roll - rotate

rose - flower
rows - lines

sail – move by wind power
sale – bargain price

scene - landscape
seen - viewed

sea – ocean segment
see – observe with eyes

seam – joining edge
seem - appear

sew – connect with thread
so – as a result
sow - plant

soar - ascend
sore – hurt place

sole - single
soul - essence

some – a few
sum - amount

steal - swipe
steel - alloy

tail – animal’s appendage
tale - story

their – belonging to them
there – at that place
they’re – they are

to - toward
too - also

toe – foot appendage
tow – pull along

vary - differ
very - much

wail - howl
whale – huge swimming mammal

waist – area below ribs
waste - squander

wait – kill time
weight – measurable load

war - battle
wore – did wear

warn - caution
worn - used

way - path
weigh – measure mass

we - us
wee - tiny

weak – not strong
week – period of seven days

weather - climate
whether - if

which - that
witch – sorcerer

your – belonging to you
you’re – you are