English Homophones
English (especially British English) is not spelt phonetically. Two words can share none, any or all of Spelling, Pronunciation and Meaning. All languages have synonyms (words with unrelated spelling and pronunciation but the same meaning) and words with multiple meanings. However English has an exceptional disparity between spelling and pronunciation.The possible combinations or some but all characteristics being the same are as follows:-
Spelling Pronunciation Meaning Classification Example Same Different Different Homonym refuse Different Same Different Homophone See below Same Same Different Multiple meanings trap Different Different Same Synonym rare/uncommon Same Different Same Alternative pronuncation Schedule (British/American pronuncation) Different Same Same Alternative spelling jail/gaol This page is about homophones. Words with different meanings and spellings, but the same (UK) pronunciation.
A collection of homophones
. This is 396 pairs, 40 triples and 5 quadruples. That is 546 pairs of homophone words.Near misses
These are word pairs that have been suggested but rejection, for one of the following reasons:-
- Not precisely the same pronunciation. I only reject on this grounds, if my dictionary gives different pronunciation (or is unclear) and I think there is a difference, or am not sure how one of the words in pronounced.
- accept, except
- acetic, ascetic
- advice, advise
- affect, effect
- axe, acts
- axle, axil
- deal, dele
- caret, carrot
- close, clothes
- cask, casque
- deuce, juice
- facts, fax
- formerly, formally
- halve, have
- hostel, hostile
- ion, iron
- jota, jotter
- liar, layer
- loch, lock
- mana, manna
- ordinance, ordnance
- paw/pore/pour, poor
- pecan, pekan
- picture, pitcher
- plaintiff, plaintive
- prince, prints
- presence, presents
- tense, tents
- wan, won
- The two spellings have a meaning in common. Even if each spelling has distinct meanings, any common mean classifies them as alternative spellings rather than homophones. (American, or other non-British, spellings are ignored for this purpose.)
- ambiance, ambience
- assay, essay
- aught, ought
- cot, cote
- depositary, depository
- forbear, forebear
- forego, forgo
- gage, gauge
- gel, jell
- genet, jennet
- gibe, gybe
- gray, grey
- grill, grille
- groin, groyne
- gunnel, gunwale
- hippie, hippy
- main, maine
- prise, prize
- ray, re
- ton, tonne
- It would be double counting. If two forms of two words are different homophones, then a single example an only be counted.
I list complement/compliment and hence don't list complementary/complimentary. I normally list the simplest form (singular rather than plural; present tense etc.) unless other form is a longer list.
e.g. I list holey/holy/wholly rather than hole/whole.- Proper nouns and associated adjectives are not allowed, notably a lot of nations, nationalities, and place names are pronounced the same as common nouns.
And many, many more.
- Capitol, capital
- Crewe, crew
- Czech, check/cheque
- Chile, chilly/chilli
- Dane, deign
- Greece, grease
- Hungary, hungry
- Lapp, lap
- Nice, niece
- Pole, poll
- Rome, roam
- Sikh, seek
- Thai, tie
- Towcester, toaster
- Wales, whales
Unsure
Alleged homophones that aren't in the dictionary.
Word Homophone(s) Comment wether weather, whether I am told this is a type of sheep. basinet bassinet ?A musical instrument? hele heal,heal ?Song, from the German? how'll howl Not really establisted enough to count leider leader ?Song, from the German? lune loon The moon (if so fails as a proper noun) meer mere rayed raid sice syce sorel sorrel velum vellum wyrd weird