Homophones
Do I Mean There, Their, or They're?
Our ESL Proofreaders Can Help You Figure It Out
a punctuation mark missing—can you spot where?
If you're an ESL writer who is having difficulty mastering the English language, it's OK. English is one of the hardest languages to learn. English is a Germanic language, but a large proportion of its vocabulary is derived from French, Greek, and Latin. Being such a blend of original language sources has led to a kaleidoscope of peculiar spellings for English words and the creation of several hundred homophones.
What is a homophone?
Our ESL proofreading professionals define a homophone as a word having the same sound as another word but with a different spelling and meaning. While this is excellent news for those who enjoy puns and wordplays, grappling with the complexities of two/to/too and write/right/rite is not so funny for those who are learning English as a second language or those who are not so confident with spelling.
A closer look at homophones
Some homophones in everyday usage are far enough apart in spelling and meaning to rarely cause problems in ESL writing—for example, through/threw and freeze/frees. It's the less common words and those that are more similar in spelling—e.g., principal/principle, revue/review, phase/faze—that tend to create confusion for non-native speakers and native speakers alike. These are the sorts of words that often need to be corrected by our ESL proofreaders.
A homophone can also be a homonym
To make things even more confusing for ESL students, some words can be both homophones and homonyms. A homonym has the same spelling as another word but a different meaning. For example, "might" [meaning power or strength] and "might" [meaning past tense of "may"] are homonyms, as are "mite" [meaning a tiny arachnid] and "mite" [meaning a small coin, as in the widow's mite]. So "might" and "mite" are both homophones and homonyms.
A homophone can also be a homograph as well as a homonym—Holy homophone, Batman!
Just when ESL students thought things couldn't get any worse, some homophones can also be homographs as well as homonyms. A homograph is a word that has the same spelling as another but has a different meaning and a different pronunciation. For example, "bough" [meaning a branch of a tree] is a homophone of both "bow" [meaning to incline one's head or body] and "bow" [meaning the front end of a ship]. These two spellings of "bow" are pronounced to rhyme with "cow" and are therefore homonyms. However, our ESL proofreaders note that "bow" can also be pronounced to rhyme with "low." When pronounced this way, "bow" can refer to a slip-knot with a double loop, something to play a violin with, or something to shoot an arrow with. Thus, "bow" can be a homophone, a homonym, and a homograph.
It's no wonder our English proofreaders are kept so busy!
An exercise in homophones from Scribendi.com
The sentences below each contain one wrongly spelled homophone. See if you can pick it out and give the correct homophone instead. (Note: UK spelling is used here.)
1. What we have to do is to move passed the acknowledgement that there is a problem and try to address it.
2. The heir to the thrown showed a regal air as he walked among the throng.
3. At the advice centre, the counselor was helping to diffuse the tension between the opposing sides.
4. Because the building was in such a derelict state, the surveyor thought that it would have to be raised to the ground.
5. After a long wait, the sniper caught his target in the site of his rifle.
6. When making ice cream, pore the ingredients into a shallow container and freeze until solid around the outside and mushy in the middle.
7. She was looking very glamorous in her cocktail dress, sheer stockings, and diamond broach.
8. The bored council official had tried to learn the electoral role by rote.
9. There were plenty of reasons why the new girl was so popular—her shear good looks and wide-open smile, for a start.
10. He knew that what he was doing wasn't right but wanting to do it overpowered the gilt of doing it.
11. The principle of the law school was thinking about making changes to the tort course.
12. The policeman noticed the stationary car and thought, "I wonder if that's the vehicle that's being sot in connection with the robbery."
13. The counsel for the defense wondered whether the jury would be phased by the revelations.
14. "Your surely not going out like that!" exclaimed the mother to her scantily clad daughter.
15. Previous experience in a similar role is essential, and the successful candidate needs to have excellent people skills, be self-motivated, and be a teem player.
16. "It's not fair to censor him for such a small mistake," the politician told Parliament.
17. The boy hatched a plot to fain illness by pretending to faint.
18. The paramedics were expecting to deal with several incidence during their shift.
19. The crew rode the boat past the buoy to the shore.
20. I had to brake suddenly in order to avoid the bridle entourage.
One final note
Our ESL proofreading experts warn students to be careful about relying on word processor spell-checkers to help find and correct homophonic problem words. Not only does a spell-checker not always catch the problems, but when it does, it sometimes suggests the wrong correction! The best way to catch homophone hardships is to submit your paper to one of our proofreading services for a professional look.
Answers: 1 Past; 2 Throne; 3 Defuse; 4 Razed; 5 Sight; 6 Pour; 7 Brooch; 8 Roll; 9 Sheer; 10 Guilt; 11 Principal; 12 Sought; 13 Fazed; 14 You're; 15 Team; 16 Censure; 17 Feign; 18 Incidents; 19 Rowed; 20 Bridal.
Published: Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:50:12 GMT
