Homonyms – Same spelling, different meaning

The word homophone originates from the Greek homo means same and phone means sound. Earnestly speaking thus, the word homophone is used to refer to words which sound identical, though they have a diverse spelling and meaning.

Here are a few examples:

mail, male; wear, ware; metal, mettle; etc.

A homonym, in contrast, is used to refer to words which have the same spelling and pronunciation but have a different meaning.

Here are a few examples:

May (month), may (possibility); can (be able), can (put something in container); bear (the animal), bear (to carry).

List Of Common Homonyms

1. Accept

Example: He did not accept your leave application.

Except

Example: Everyone in the room except Rita come out.

2. Access

Example: Please provide your access details.

Excess

Example: An excess of eating is not healthy.

3. Advise

Example: You advise him to continue his further studies.

Advice

Example: Do not ignore doctor's advice.

4. Affect

Example: Smoking will affect your health.

Effect

Example: It was the result of the magnetic effect.

5. Antic

Example: His clown like antic behavior surprised me.

Antique

Example: The showpiece was an antique one.

6. Altar

Example: I am studying the history of Christian history.

Alter

Example: Please go to the shop to alter the dress.

7. Ascent

Example: The story of his ascent to success was a remarkable one.

Assent

Example: The bride's father gave his assent to the marriage proposal.

8. Adapt

Example: It takes time to adapt to new culture.

Adept

Example: She is adept in handicrafts.

9. Apposite

Example: He is famous for his apposite speeches.

Opposite

Example: Opposites attract.

10. Apprise

Example: Would you like to apprise the students about the hike in fees?

Appraise

Example: Appraise the situation before you act.

11. Accessory

Example: The Gucci handbag that she carries is her all time favorite accessory.

Accessary

Example: She was an accessary to the crime.

12. Aural

Example: Usually a migraine is preceded by aural effects.

Oral

Example: He was going for an oral surgery.

13. Auxiliary

Example: There are no auxiliary branches of this shop.

Axillary

Example: The doctor looked at the axillary gland.

14. Ablution

Example: Ablution is the ritual washing of a priest's hands or of sacred vessels

Oblation

Example: In earlier days, child oblation was practiced to please gods.

15. Ail

Example: Your untimely work schedule will ail you someday.

Ale

Example: Ale was a common drink in olden days.

16. Assay

Example: Assay the sample properly to see how much enzyme is present.

Essay

Example: He wrote great essays on socialism.

17. Allay

Example: The doctor is trying hard to allay the crying child.

Alley

Example: There is an old alley in the town.

18. Angle

Example: The angle between perpendicular lines is 90degrees.

Angel

Example: Anny was as innocent as an angel.

19. Bail

Example: The guilty was soon released on bail.

Bale

Example: Transport the bale of cotton to another city.

20. Bridal

Example: The bridal dress was prepared by the girl's aunt.

Bridle

Example: The movement was an attempt to bridle the power of the dictator.

21. Born

Example: He was born on 14 th of March.

Borne

Example: Great difficulties were borne by the people of this country to get freedom.

22. Bore

Example: The movie was a complete bore.

Boar

Example: We caught the boar in jungle.

23. Beside

Example: I want to sit beside you.

Besides

Example: I do not want to go to the movie, besides, we can not afford it.

24. Blew

Example: The wind blew from the east

Blue

Example: The color of the sky is blue.

25. Birth

Example: The couple celebrated the birth of their first child.

Berth

Example: Sleeping on the berth of a train is not all a comforting experience.

26. Cession

Example: How much land did the US acquire from the Mexican cession?

Session

Example: The session with the marriage counselor went well.

27. Chord

As noun

Example: The diameter is the longest chord of a circle.

As verb

Example: The musician taught me how to play the major chord.

Cord

Example: Tie the bundle with a cord.

28. Corps

Example: The doctors in the Army Medical Corps demanded for a hike in their salary.

Core:

Example: The executive board is the core of the organization.

29. Check

Example: Check for the errors in your credit report.

Cheque

Example: We withdraw money from our bank by writing a cheque.

30. Canvas

Example: Canvas paintings are put on sale in the art exhibition.

Canvass

Example: After the election,

the members of the student

union were assigned to canvass the campus to find out the

opinions of the students about

the key issues.