- AIR/HEIR
Air: oxygen and other gases that we breathe in
Ex: It’s spring. Love is in the air and the birds are singing.
Heir: the person who is next in line in a family and inherits something
Ex: When the new royal heir is born, hundreds of balloons are sent up in the air to celebrate the event.
- AISLE/ISLE
Aisle: a passageway between seats in rows
Ex: Would you like a window or an aisle seat?
An aisle seat, please. I wouldn’t like to sit next to the window, I’m afraid of heights.
Isle: a small island
Ex: They’re planning to build an airport on the isle. I think it’s a fantastic idea.
- BALD/BAWLED
BALD: someone who has no hair on his head is bald
Ex: Will you love me if I go bald?
Don’t worry. Look at how handsome Bruce Willis is. And he is bald.
BAWLED: past form of ’bawl’, it means ’cry loudly’
Ex: When I realized I was going bald, I bawled liked a child. I don’t want to look like Captain Picard from Star Trek.
You shouldn’t have bawled so hard. Captain Picard is really cool.
- BAND/BANNED
BAND: a group of people
Ex: I’d like to form a rock band. Can you play any musical instruments?
BANNED: (ban-banned-banned) to prohibit, not allow
Ex: I’d love to be in a rock band, but I thought you were banned from playing loud music in the house.
- BARE/BEAR
BARE: naked, not covered
Ex: Susy was wearing a daring dress at the party. It revealed her bare legs.
BEAR: a big animal with dark brown coat that lives in woods and eats smaller animals and fruit
Ex: I took my son to the zoo to see the new baby bear. He loved it. I think I’ll get him a Teddy bear for his next birthday.
- BE/BEE
BE: exist (am,is,are,was,were,been)
Ex: I’d like to be famous one day.
BEE: a flying, stinging insect that makes honey
Ex: I wonder what it’s like to be a bee. Bees seem to be working all day.
- BREAK/BRAKE
BREAK: smash something by dropping, bending or damaging it somehow
Ex: You’ll break something if you keep playing football in the living room. Can you stop it, please?
BRAKE: a device to make a car go slower/stop
Ex: I’ll have to get my brakes checked. I think there’s something wrong with them.
Is the garage open on Sunday? I don’t want you to crash the car.
- BORED/BOARD
BORED: not interested in your current activity
Ex: I’m bored with you. Are homophones the only thing you can talk about?
BOARD: a flat piece of wood on which you can write, play a game or do sports like surfing, skateboarding etc.
Ex: Whenever the teacher goes to the whiteboard and writes something on it, the students start chatting.
- BUY/BY
BUY: getting something for money
I’d like to buy a piano, but my husband doesn’t really like the idea.
BY: through, via
Do you go to work by car?
No, I can’t drive. I always go by train.
- CELL/SELL
CELL: a room in a prison/ the smallest part of an organism
Ex: How many cells are there in a human body?
SELL: giving something to somebody in return for money
Ex: I’ve decided to sell my house and move to Australia.
- CENT/SCENT
CENT: 1/100th of a dollar
Ex: They don’t deserve a cent after what they have done to you.
SCENT: smell, odour, fragrance
Ex: Could you feel the scent of jasmine in the garden? It was so lovely.
- CLAWS/CLAUSE
CLAWS: a sharp, curvy structure at the end of the paws of animals
Ex: I’m not sure if I should trim my cat’s rear claws. Do you know anything about cats?
CLAUSE: a section of a legal document
Ex: Don’t sign that contract before you read and understand every word and clause!
- CURRENT/CURRANT
CURRENT: happening/existing now
Ex: Are you happy in your current job?
Yes, I am. My current employer is much nicer than the previous one.
CURRANT: small, black or red berry that grows on bushes
Ex: Would you like some ice-cream with your blackcurrants?
I’d love some, thanks. Ice-cream and currants are my idea of heaven.
- DEAR/DEER
DEAR: loved and valued
Ex: You are my dearest friend, you know.
Am I? You’re dear to me as well.
DEER: an animal with hooves and antlers that lives in the woods
Ex: I had venison steak for lunch.
What’s venison?
Oh dear, you don’t know? It’s deer meat.
- DIE/DYE
DIE: stop living
Ex: My dog’s very old. I’m afraid he’ll die soon.
DYE: to colour materials or hair
Ex: I’m thinking of dying my hair. Should I dye it blue or pink?
I think your parents will just die if you show up with pink hair.
Right, I’ll dye it blue then.
- FAIR/FARE
FAIR: honest/ consistent with rules/ light in colour, clear
Ex: Mum, that’s not fair! I did the washing up yesterday. It’s Jack’s turn today.
FARE: money you pay for transportation
Ex: I can’t visit my parents very often. The train fare is too expensive.
- FLEE/FLEA
FLEE: run away from danger
Ex: If I was a bit younger, I’d flee this boring town and move to the capital.
FLEA: a small insect that lives in the fur of animals
Ex: Do you think fleas go into human hair?
Well, a flea may jump on it if you’re around animals, but I don’t think it would like it there.
- FLOUR/FLOWER
FLOUR: white powder-like foodstuff that’s obtained by grinding grains
Ex: Can you buy some flour on your way home? I’d like to make pizza for dinner.
Of course I will. I would do anything to have pizza for dinner.
FLOWER: the most beautiful part of plants that blossoms and smells nice
Ex: You should make your wife breakfast in bed a few times every month. And don’t forget to lay a single flower on the tray before you serve it.
- GRIZZLY/GRISLY
GRIZZLY: a big, brown bear that lives in North America
Ex: Would you like to come trekking with us? We’re going to the Rockies.
You must be joking. What will you do if you bump into a grizzly?
GRISLY: unpleasant and frightening
Ex: Did you see those black and white photos in her living room?
Yeah, they’re rather grisly, aren’t they? Especially the one with the zombies.
- GUERRILLA/GORILLA
GUERRILLA: a member of a small group of irregular soldiers
Ex: Guerrilla warfare has had a big impact on the area. It’s not a safe place to go on holiday anymore.
GORILLA: the largest and strongest ape
Ex: Have you seen the film ’King Kong’? It’s about a giant gorilla that is taken to New York to be exhibited.
- HAIR/HARE
HAIR: what grows on your head
Ex: Her hair used to be much shorter. Do you think she’s got hair extensions?
HARE: an animal that’s similar to a rabbit, but has longer ears and legs
Ex: Rabbits live underground, but hares live in overground nests.
Can I get a pet hare?
- HEAL/HEEL
HEAL: become or make healthy again
Ex: How long will this wound take to heal?
HEEL: the part of a foot that’s under the ankle
Ex: I hurt my left heel while playing football. I hope it will heal soon.
- HEROINE/HEROIN
HEROINE: a brave woman, usually the principal character of a book or a film
Ex: My favourite heroine is Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter books.
HEROIN: a white, highly addictive narcotic
Ex: I stopped reading that book when the heroine turned out to be a heroin addict. I don’t like stories about drug addicts. They’re so sad.
- HOLY/WHOLLY
HOLY: sacred, dedicated to God
Ex: The Christian holy book is called the Bible.
WHOLLY: completely, fully
Ex: The dress she was wearing to church was wholly inappropriate.
- HUMERUS/HUMOROUS
HUMERUS: the bone in the body which is between the shoulder and the elbow
Ex: Humerus fractures usually heal without surgery, but you may have to wear a shoulder sling for a couple of weeks.
HUMOROUS: funny, comical
Ex: I write humorous stories for children in my free time, but my daughter doesn’t seem to like them at all.
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