by Jodie Renner, editor & author
Are you at the proofreading stage of your writing project? Or just writing an email, social media post, or text message and want to make sure your spelling is correct?
Homophones/homonyms can often trip us up. If you sometimes have a "brain blip" about the spelling of some words that sound the same, bookmark this chart to help you with over 50 of the most commonly confused / misspelled sound-alikes in English.
The list, with deliberately simplified definitions here, is in alphabetical order and includes some easier words you may know and others you may not be 100% sure of, such as rein/reign, illusion/allusion, oral/aural, cord/chord, pour/pore, compliment/complement, aisle/isle, peddle/pedal, gorilla/guerrilla, exercise/exorcise, and lightning/lightening.
accept – take
except – all but this
affect – to cause change (verb)
effect – result of change (noun)
aisle – corridor in a store or church
isle – island
I'll – I will
allowed – permission to do
aloud – out loud (not silent)
allusion – an indirect reference to something
illusion – false impression, misconception
bare – unclothed
bear – wild animal
bazaar – open-air market
bizarre – strange, weird
beat – win, overcome; or hit, strike
beet – red vegetable
brake – pedal on vehicle
break – shatter, fracture
buy – purchase
by – go past
bye – goodbye
chord – musical
cord – string, rope; vocal cords
complement – goes well with
compliment – say something nice
desert – dry, arid area
dessert – sweet treat after meal
"just deserts" – got what was deserved
doe – female deer
dough – unbaked cookies, bread, etc.
exercise – exertion, action, practice
exorcise – to expel, to get rid of (evil spirits)
fair – not dark; unbiased; exhibition
fare – price for ride; food provided
farther – physical distance
further – additional
flea – bug
flee – run away
gorilla – ape
guerrilla or guerilla – type of fighter
grisly – gruesome
grizzly – bear
heal – to make well
heel – back of foot
hear – sound
here – place
heroin – drug
heroine – female hero
hoarse – condition of throat/voice
horse – large animal
humerus – bone
humorous – funny
insure – get insurance
ensure – make sure
it’s – it is or it has
its – belongs to it
lightening – making lighter or paler
lightning – flashes in a storm
loose – not tight
lose – misplace, opposite of find
oral – related to speaking
aural – related to hearing
our – belongs to us
are – we are, they are
pain – hurt
pane – window
peace – not war
piece – part, portion, fragment
peak – top of mountain
peek – look, glance
pique – excite, arouse (curiosity, etc.)
pedal – part of bike
peddle – sell
plain – not fancy
plane – flies in the sky
pore over – study carefully
pour over – dispense liquid
principal – main, head of school
principle – basic truth or law
rain – droplets from the clouds
reign – monarch’s rule
rein – to lead a horse
review – look over, go over
revue – theatrical production
sail – part of a boat
sale – discounted prices
sole – one; bottom of foot
soul – spirit, spiritual part of person
stake – pointed piece of wood; prize; share
steak – cut of meat
stationary – not moving
stationery – writing materials
steal – take without permission
steel – metal
tail - part of animal
tale - story
than – compared to
then – what comes after
their – belongs to them
there – not here
they’re – they are
threw – tossed
through – pass in and out
to – where you’re going
too – also; excessive
two – 2
wait – don't go yet
weight – measure mass
weather – rain, snow, etc.
whether – choices
which – which one?
witch – woman with special powers
whine – complain
wine – beverage from grapes
who’s – who is
whose – belongs to ?
whoa – stop, cease
woe – sadness
write – create note, message, story with words
right – correct
you’re – you are
your – belongs to you
Do you have any others you'd like me to add? Please mention them in the comments below.
See also "Just the Right Word is Only a Click Away".
Have trouble remembering whether to hyphenate a word or not? Check out "It's All About Those Hyphens!"
For many more words, in alphabetical order, with explanations and examples, check out Jodie's two handy, clickable, time-saving e-resources for writers, editors, students, and anyone else with writing projects: Quick Clicks: WORD USAGE – Precise Word Choices at Your Fingertips
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