Words that sound the same but are spelt differently are called homophones.
If you use the wrong spelling for a homophone, your mistake will not be picked up by a spell checker. Instead, you’ll need to be aware of these possible errors during the editing of your piece.
The most common mistakes can be the hardest to spot!
to / too / two
there / their / they’re
TIP – turn off predictive text
Your turn!
For each of these groups of homophones, check that you know what each word means, so that you can use the correct version in your writing.
aloud / allowed bare / bear coarse / course draw / drawer
fare/ fair grate / great hole / whole idle / idol
leant / lent male / mail no / know piece / peace
right / write / rite site / sight through / threw weather / whether