7 Common Homophones That Confuse English Learners

Hey everyone!

Today I’ll be sharing some common English homophones (words that sound the same, but have different meanings) that tend to confuse learners. English natives also sometimes get them mixed up, so don’t worry if you can’t remember the differences right away!

  1. There vs their vs they’re

There: An adverb that is used to indicate a location or direction. It is a location where the speaker currently is not.
Their: The possessive adjective for the third person plural pronoun ‘they’. Can be used to talk about something that belongs to a previously mentioned person/animal/thing.
They’re: A contraction of “they are” .

2. To vs two vs too

To: A preposition that is used when talking about going in the direction of something or someone.
Two: The number 2.
Too: An adverb that can be a synonym of ‘also’. In other contexts, ‘too’ can be used in front of adjectives or other adverbs to show that something is more than what it should be.

3. Hour vs our

Hour: The time period that lasts 60 minutes.
Our: The possessive adjective that is used with the first person plural ‘we’.

4. Where vs wear

Where: Used to ask about the location or destination.
Wear: To use something as clothing (jacket, shorts, jeans etc.) or an accessory (glasses).

5. Eight vs ate

Eight: The number 8.
Ate: Past tense of eat.

6. Bye vs by vs buy

Bye: An informal way of saying “Goodbye” to someone
By: A preposition that can be used to mean ‘near’. or the way that something is done. By can also indicate the author of a work or action. In other contexts, by can mean ‘until’ or the amount of something.
Buy: The act of paying money to obtain something.

7. Four vs for

Four: The number 4.
For: A preposition that is used to indicate the intended recipient of something or to show a purpose, reason or cause.

What other English homophone pairs confuse YOU? Let me know in the comments!

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Published by janisachatte

A language lover and teacher. Also a writer and traveler. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, trying new foods, and gardening. I love to swim and kayak as well.

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