Homonyms

A homophone is a word that sounds the same but is spelled differently and means something different, like...

Homonyms and homophones are difficult for students to get the hang of.   

You can sell a cell phone, but if you steal a cell phone, you might get put in a cell made of steel.

Or crazier yet:

The fabric had a tear which caused her to shed a tear.  

You can see the problem.  Words that sound the same, mean something different based upon the way they are spelled, and the way they are spelled does not necessarily conform to a students' understanding of phonics.   

The list below is just an attempt to list some of the more common homonys that young students run into.  If you can think of any more you think should be included on the list, please e-mail me at miketayse@gmail.com.  The formatting looks weird(the spacing looks different in the html and in the on line editor)and  in the printable list below, Ill try to fix it eventually.  

 red            read                need            knead

night            knight            blue            blew

read            reed                some        sum

ate            eight                our            hour

beat            beet                ant            aunt

be            bee                   hole            whole

in               inn                      maid            made

mail            male                no            know

not            knot                one            won

pale            pail                rap            wrap

ring            wring                sale            sail

feat            feet                plain            plane

sea            see                cell            sell

chews        choose            clothes        close

dear            deer                flower        flour

foul            fowl                knew            new

gym            Jim                heard        herd

wail            whale            waist            waste

war            wore                way            weigh

weak            week                which            witch



Link to printable googe docs version of common homonyms

I was not real sure where to put this but here is a list of words that can be their own opposites.