Skip to main content
Academy11+
Back to Spelling and vocabulary

English · Guide 2 of 4

Homophones

Homophones sound the same but are spelt differently and mean different things: there, their and they're. Learn a trick for each one and they stop catching you out.

  • Ages 9 to 11
  • 11+ English
  • Worked examples

What is it?

A homophone is a word that sounds exactly like another word but has a different spelling and meaning, such as 'hear' and 'here', or 'knight' and 'night'.

They're tested in 11+ spelling sections (the wrong homophone counts as a spelling mistake), in cloze questions where you choose the right word, and in your own writing.

A typical question, and the homophones to learn

Choose the right word: The children hung (there / their / they're) coats on the pegs.

  • there / their / they're: there = a place (it has 'here' in it); their = belonging to them; they're = they are.
  • to / too / two: to = towards (to school); too = also, or too much (it has too many o's); two = 2.
  • your / you're: your = belonging to you; you're = you are.
  • its / it's: its = belonging to it (the dog wagged its tail); it's = it is or it has.
  • hear / here: You hear with your ear; here is a place, like there.
  • where / wear: where = which place; wear = put on clothes. (were sounds a little different: 'we were late'.)
  • weather / whether: weather = rain or sun; whether = if (whether or not).
  • passed / past: passed is a verb (we passed the shop); past is time or 'beyond' (in the past, we walked past).
  • practice / practise: In UK English, practice is the noun (football practice) and practise is the verb (I practise). Same for advice / advise.
  • stationary / stationery: stationary = standing still (a parked car); stationery = pens and paper (e for envelope).
  • allowed / aloud: allowed = permitted; aloud = out loud.
  • brake / break: brake = slow down (bike brakes); break = smash, or a rest (break time).
  • peace / piece: peace = calm, no war; a piece of pie.
  • knew / new: knew = past of know (it has the k of know); new = not old.

How to spot it

  • A choice of words that sound the same, in brackets or as options.
  • A spelling line where every word looks real, but one is the wrong homophone.
  • Cloze passages with a gap before 'coats', 'tail', 'going' and so on.

Step-by-step method

  1. Step 1: Read the whole sentence so you know what it means.
  2. Step 2: Ask what job the word does: a place? belonging to someone? a short form of two words?
  3. Step 3: For a word with an apostrophe (they're, you're, it's), expand it: 'they are', 'you are', 'it is'. If the long form makes sense, the apostrophe word is right.
  4. Step 4: Use your memory trick (here has 'here' and 'there' in it; you hear with your ear).
  5. Step 5: Put your chosen word back in the sentence and read it again.

Worked examples

Example 1: there, their or they're

Question: The children hung (there / their / they're) coats on the pegs.
  1. Step 1: Try 'they are': 'The children hung they are coats' doesn't make sense.
  2. Step 2: Is it a place? No. The coats belong to the children.
  3. Step 3: Belonging to them is their.

Answer: their

Example 2: its or it's

Question: The cat licked (its / it's) paw because (its / it's) sore.
  1. Step 1: First gap: try 'it is': 'licked it is paw' doesn't work. The paw belongs to the cat, so 'its'.
  2. Step 2: Second gap: 'because it is sore' makes sense, so 'it's'.

Answer: its paw … because it's sore

Example 3: to, too or two

Question: We walked (to / too / two) the park, and my (to / too / two) brothers came (to / too / two).
  1. Step 1: 'walked … the park': towards a place → to.
  2. Step 2: 'my … brothers': a number → two.
  3. Step 3: 'came …' at the end means 'as well' → too.

Answer: to, two, too

Example 4: practice or practise

Question: I (practice / practise) the piano every day before football (practice / practise).
  1. Step 1: 'I … the piano' is something I do, a verb → practise (with s).
  2. Step 2: 'football …' is a thing, a noun → practice (with c). Think: advice (noun) and advise (verb).

Answer: practise … practice

Common traps

  • Its with an apostrophe

    'It's' only ever means 'it is' or 'it has'. For belonging, use 'its', like 'his' and 'hers', which have no apostrophe either.

  • Too with one o

    If it means 'also' or 'more than enough', it needs the extra o: 'too hot', 'me too'.

  • Were and where

    'were' (we were late) and 'where' (where is it?) sound different. Say them carefully: 'where' rhymes with 'hair'.

  • Trusting the sound

    Every homophone is a real word, so a line can look fine at a glance. Check each one fits the meaning.

Top tips

  • Learn the table above a few pairs at a time, with a picture or rhyme for each.
  • Expand every apostrophe word to check it: they're → they are, you're → you are.
  • Write your own silly sentence using all three: 'They're over there with their dog.'
  • Lose / loose and quiet / quite aren't homophones, but they're mixed up just as often: learn them too.

Practice questions

Practise this with a free account

11 practice questions on this topic, from easy to 11+ level. Reading the guide is free for everyone; practice is for members, and signing up is free.

Sign up free to practiseSign in

Related on Academy11+

More free help with the same topic, on screen and on paper.