Homonyms are words that look or sound the same or similar but have very different meanings, such as to, two, and too.
Getting caught using the wrong word can not only disrupt your reader, it can also hurt your grade. Here is a list of some of the most common homonyms and other confusing words students may want to keep their eye on.
Aid: something that helps
Aide: an assistant or person who offers aid
Aisle: a straight space between two sets of objects
I’ll: contraction of “I will”
Isle: an island
Accept: consent to receive something
Except: does not include
Affect: the act of making a difference (verb)
Effect: the consequence of an action (noun)
All together: all in one place or together
Altogether: completely, totally
Allusion: indirect or passing reference
Illusion: a deceptive appearance; impression
Allusive: working by reference (related to allusion)
Elusive: difficult to find, catch, or achieve
Altar: a religious object
Alter: to change
Angel: a heavenly being
Angle: the space between two straight lines
Ascent: a climb or walk uphill
Assent: agreement
Attain: to achieve something
Obtain: to get or acquire something
Beat: to violently hit, repeatedly; to defeat
Beet: a root vegetable
Bough: the main branch of a tree
Bow: to bend at the waist
Buy: to purchase
By: near or close to
Bye: what you say when you leave someone
Cache: a collection of similar items or
Cash: paper money
Cannon: a large piece of artillery
Canon: a criterion by which something is judged; a collection of religious books
Capital: a city that functions as the seat of government; assets available for production; uppercase letters
Capitol: building occupied by a State legislature
Cereal: breakfast food
Serial: coming out in a series instead of as a whole
Compliment: a nice thing someone says to another
Complement: adds to something in a way that enhances it
Chord: collection of musical notes played at the same time
Cord: a long thin flexible string or rope
Confidant: a person you entrust with secret knowledge
Confident: self-assured
Conscience: one’s moral compass
Conscious: to be awake and aware of one’s surroundings
Council: a group of people
Counsel: advice
Criterion: the standard by which something is judged
Criteria: plural of criterion
Currant: a fruit
Current: flow of water or liquid
Desert: a very dry environment
Dessert: a sweet dish
Die: to pass away; perish
Dye: to change color by immersion
Diner: a restaurant
Dinner: the afternoon/evening meal
Discover: to be the first person to find something that already existed
Invent: to create something for the first time
Dual: having to do with two
Duel: a fight between two people
Elicit: to draw out
Illicit: illegal; forbidden by law
Emigrate: to leave one’s own country for another
Immigrate: come to live permanently in a foreign country
Eminent: the leading example
Imminent: close; nearby
Emit: to give off
Omit: to leave out
Envelop: to surround
Envelope: object for containing letters
Evoke: to call out; bring to consciousness
Invoke: to appeal to something
Explicit: stated plainly and fully
Implicit: hinted at; implied
Farther: used for greater physical distance
Further: used for greater metaphorical distance
Flair: eccentric characteristic
Flare: an object used to provide light; an eruption from a star
Flea: small bug often found on animals
Flee: to run away
Flew: past tense of fly
Flu: virus
Flue: object that opens or closes a chimney
Forbear: to restrain
Forebear: ancestor
For: preposition used to show purpose
Fore: word shouted by golfers at a stray ball
Four: a number
Formally: politely; in a formal manner
Formerly: used to be
Gait: a walking style, often of horses
Gate: portion of a fence that opens or closes
Good: of acceptable quality; used for nouns (ex. Snow is good.)
Well: acceptable action; used for verbs and adverbs (ex. I feel well.)
Gorilla: large primate
Guerrilla: fighters who do not engage an enemy directly
Hangar: where airplanes are stored
Hanger: object for holding clothes
Hanged: past of hang when referencing capital punishment
Hung: past of hang (suspended in air)
Hardy: robust
Hearty: loudly vigorous and cheerful
Heroin: highly addictive drug
Heroine: female hero
Hoard: to gather in excess
Horde: an unruly group; mob
Hoarse: sounding rough
Horse: animal
Idol: object of worship
Idle: to stay still, rest
Incidence: the rate of occurrence
Incidents: series of events
Incite: to cause to happen
Insight: deep or intuitive understanding
Its: belonging to “it”
It’s: contraction of “it is”
Lay: to put down an object
Lie: to rest oneself; to tell something that is untrue
Lead: to go first in a group; graphite of a pencil
Led: past tense of leading a group
Lessen: to make less
Lesson: a teaching
Lets: to allow
Let’s: contraction of “let us”
Literally: actual, real (except in slang when it means metaphorically)
Figuratively: not literal, an exaggeration
Loose: not tight
Lose: to be deprived of something; to not win in competition
Mantle: loose sleeveless cloak
Mantel: horizontal beam above a fireplace
Meet: to encounter for the first time
Meat: flesh prepared for eating
Mete: to give out; dispense
Medal: an award
Meddle: to interfere
Metal: group of elements that are malleable, fusible, and ductile
Mettle: a person’s ability to cope
Moral: a guiding principle
Morale: collective feeling of confidence
Naval: having to do with a navy
Navel: belly button
Ordinance: a law or rule
Ordnance: an explosive
Palate: roof of the mouth
Palette: a thin board used by artists
Pallet: an object used in shipping items
Peak: top of an object (mountain)
Peek: to glimpse
Pique: to gain interest
Pedal: object depressed with a foot to move
Peddle: to sell or dispense
Premier: first in importance
Premiere: the first appearance or showing
Prey: animal/object hunted by a predator
Pray: religious petition
Principal: a person in charge of a school
Principle: a rule or law
Quit: to cease
Quiet: silent
Quite: very
Rack: object for hanging items
Wrack: to wring out
Rain: precipitation
Rein: object to control animals
Reign: to rule over
Respectfully: with respect, politely
Respectively: in order
Right: correct
Rite: ritual
Wright: a builder
Write: to mark on paper in a meaningful way
Sensual: sexual in nature
Sensuous: related to the senses
Set: to put down
Sit: to rest on one’s bottom
Shear: to cut
Sheer: translucent, see-through
Shall: future tense for intent in the first person (British); also used in legal and lofty prose
Will: future tense for intent in the second and third person (British); used in all future tense in American dialect
Sole: heel; only
Soul: immaterial essence of a person
Stationary: to remain still
Stationery: paper for writing letters
Statue: a physical likeness of a person
Statute: a law
Tack: a pin
Tact: adroitness or sensitivity in a difficult issue
Than: introducing second object in comparison; used in expression introducing a contrast or exception
Then: afterwards, following, because of
Their: belonging to them
There: a place that is not close
They’re: contraction of “they are”
To: expressing motion; used to create an infinitive
Too: also
Two: number
Troop: a group of soldiers
Troupe: a group of performers
Vain: to be obsessed with oneself
Vane: object for showing the direction of the wind
Vein: blood vessel in the body
Weather: the atmospheric conditions at one moment
Whether: expressing doubt or choice between alternatives
Your: belonging to you
You’re: contraction of “you are”