Homophones
Words that sound the same but are spelt differently, and how to pick the right spelling every time.
The answer
Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings and often different spellings, such as hear and here, or their, there and they’re.
Examples
I can hear the band from here.
Their coats are over there, and they’re still wet.
I went to the shop and bought two apples too.
The knight rode through the night.
How to spot it
- Say the words aloud. If they sound the same but are spelt differently and mean different things, they are homophones.
- Choose by meaning: there is a place (it has here inside it), their shows belonging, they’re is short for they are.
- Check with a swap: if they are fits, write they’re.
The common mistake
Using one spelling for every meaning.
‘There dog barked’ should be ‘Their dog barked’. Stop and ask which meaning you need before you write the word.
When it is taught
- First met
- Year 2
- On the pupil word list
- Not as a separate term
Homophones sit in the national curriculum spelling appendix (English Appendix 1). Year 2 meets pairs such as there, their and they’re; here and hear; and see and sea. Years 3 and 4 add pairs such as peace and piece, and Years 5 and 6 add words such as aloud and allowed.
Try a question
Which word completes the sentence correctly? Tick one.
The children hung ___ bags on the pegs.
- there
- their
- they’re
Show the answer
Answer: their
The bags belong to the children, and their shows belonging.
Practise it
An interactive exercise where your child sends each sentence through the homophone that fills its gap.
Related terms
- Practise the 11+ skill: Resolve a homophone
More grammar terms
Questions parents ask
What is the difference between a homophone and a homonym?
Homophones sound the same (hear, here). The glossary calls words homonyms when they look and sound exactly the same but mean different things, like the bark of a dog and the bark of a tree.
What is a near-homophone?
Words that sound almost the same, such as quite and quiet, or accept and except. The spelling appendix lists them alongside homophones.
Are homophones in the KS2 spelling test?
They can be. The spelling paper draws on the statutory spelling appendix, which includes homophones for every year group from Year 2.
Grammar turns up in 11+ English too
Many 11+ English papers include grammar and punctuation questions alongside comprehension. The free diagnostic checks maths, English and both kinds of reasoning, and shows what to practise next. No card is required.