Homophones

Topic - 8

HOMOPHONES

INTRODUCTION

The word 'homophone' has its origin in the combination of two elements— 'homo' (same) and 'phone' (sound). Thus, the term homophone describes the words that sound the same but have different meanings. For example, the words 'ate' and 'eight’ are pronounced in the same way but both have different meanings. The knowledge of homophones helps the learner check the ambiguity in expression as well as to bring clarity to it. They can also be used to create puns to make language interesting. For example, 'he died on his birth’ – can be interpreted to have a pun on the word 'berth' that is a homophone of the word 'birth'. However, homophones can be a tricky business, that is, one may find it difficult to know when to use which word. Some common mistakes occur with your/you're, there / their / they're, and hear/here. Mastery of homophones requires a lot of practice. You may learn them by making a list, use them in complete sentences or make use of flash cards. These things will definitely help you in understanding tricky homophones accurately. Some of them are given below:

Practice Exercises

I. Make sentences using the following pairs of words to bring out their differences:

II. Fill up the blanks choosing the correct words given in the brackets.

1. This remarks about the dominance of casteism in elections are quite _______ to the present position (apposite / opposite)

2. The _______ to this mountain is not an easy task. (ascent / assent)

3. Yesterday his behavior with the guests was _______ (antic / antique)

4. The boat man _______ the boat with a chain . (tow / toe)

5. Bihar is a state _______ with coal mines. (teeming/teaming)

6. She achieved this distinction by the _______ force of hard work. (sheer / shear)

7. The reading of cheap books produce a bad________ on the minds of youth. (affect / effect)

8. You cannot _______ my opinion about her. (altar / alter)

9. This rhyme is full of _______ (allusions / illusions)

10. He says that the word to nothing but an _______ (allusion / illusion)

11. He was kind enough to _______ to my request. (accede / exceed)

12. Everybody should be given _______ to this temple. (access/excess)

13. He refused to ________ the gift. (accept / except)

14. She _________hard to secured first position in the college. (assayed / essayed)

15. She is __with malaria. (ailing / aleing)

16. Please keep _______(quiet / quite)

17. What is the name of the ________ of this college? (principal / principle)

18. This house is near the _______ of India. (border/ boarder)

19. This world is nothing but an _______ (allusion / illusion)

20. The property of the _______ was confiscated by the government. (deceased / diseased)

21. India is none free from the _______ of British empire. (york / yoke)

22. At last she left the house of her parents, knowing not _______ away (wither/whither)

23. All the flowers have now _______ (whither wither)

24. It is wrong to conclude that all _______ him are corrupt (except/accept)

25. She is _______ in the art of painting (adapt adept)

26. The drought _______ a large part of the state. (affected/ effected)

27. This office is situated at the second _______ (storey/story)

28. This hotel has twenty A.C _______ (suites/suits)

29. I am going to purchase _______ items for the office. (stationery/stationary)

30. The earth is not _______ it revolves. (stationary/ stationery)

31. Please _______ my clothes (calendar/calendar)

32. He is on _______ leave. (casual/ causal)

33. The policeman _______the thief by collar. (ceased/ seized)

34. We heard _______ of trumpets. (peal/peel)

35. Through process of melting, iron is extracted from _______ (oar/ore)

36. He has some_______ benefits in this project. (monetary/ monitory)

37. You can show your _______ by fighting against injustice. (metal / mettle)

38. His wife came _______ than him. (latter / later)

39. An _______ man always plans in a clever manner. (ingenious / ingenuous)

40. I have already clarified this point in _________ paragraphs. (forgo/ forego)

41. A good fellow will not _________ a friend in need. (desert / dessert)

42. This house was _______ by earthquake. (wreck/wreak)

43. A good writers always uses _______ at appropriate places. (comma/ coma)

44. What he says is hardly ________(creditable / credible)

45. He built his __________ by hard work. (career / carrier)

46. The ________ was covered with white sheet. (corpse / corps)

47. This bill has already been passed by legislative _________ (council/ counsel)

48. Pay my best _______ to your parents. (compliments / complement)

49. He has _______ to be the chairman of society. (cease / seize)

50. True _______ cannot be enjoyed by a man of jealous (felicity / facility)