In today’s useful lesson, we’ll explore a fun part of the English language called homophones. Imagine words that sound the same but have different meanings and sometimes different spellings, like a magical word puzzle! This list of 20 common homophones is like a treasure map, guiding you through the twists and turns of English. It’s perfect for anyone starting their English journey or looking to get even better. So, grab your explorer’s hat, and let’s dive into this adventure, uncovering the mysteries of homophones together!
20 Homophones Words List
Here is the list of 20 most common homophones in English:
- Freeze – Frieze
- Gait – Gate
- Throne – Thrown
- Weak – Week
- Canvas – Canvass
- Foreword – Forward
- Tail – Tale
- Threw – Through
- Wax – Whacks
- Faze – Phase
- Fie – Phi
- Manna – Manner
- Od – Odd
- Pi – Pie
- Coo – Coup
- Hay – Hey
- Hoarse – Horse
- Whine – Wine
- Ewe – Yew – You
- Lac – Lack
Freeze
Meaning: To turn into ice or to become very cold.
Example: “Please don’t forget to bring your jacket, or you’ll freeze outside.”
Frieze
Meaning: A decorative band, usually found near the ceiling of rooms or on the outside of buildings.
Example: “The ancient Greek frieze depicted a battle scene in exquisite detail.”
Gait
Meaning: A person’s manner of walking.
Example: “The doctor could tell there was a problem just by observing her gait.”
Gate
Meaning: A hinged barrier used to close an opening in a fence or wall.
Example: “Please close the gate behind you to keep the dog in the yard.”
Throne
Meaning: A ceremonial chair for a sovereign or a deity.
Example: “The king sat upon his throne, addressing his subjects.”
Thrown
Meaning: Past participle of throw, meaning to propel something with force through the air by a movement of the arm.
Example: “The ball was thrown with such force that it broke the window.”
Weak
Meaning: Lacking strength or force.
Example: “After the illness, she felt too weak to go back to work immediately.”
Week
Meaning: A period of seven days.
Example: “We’re going on vacation for a week in July.”
Canvas
Meaning: A strong, heavy cloth used by artists for painting on, typically stretched over a frame.
Example: “He carefully selected a canvas for his next masterpiece.”
Canvass
Meaning: To solicit votes or opinions; to conduct a survey.
Example: “The volunteers went door to door to canvass the neighborhood before the election.”
Foreword
Meaning: A short introductory section in a book, typically by someone other than the author.
Example: “The foreword was written by a famous historian, which added prestige to the book.”
Forward
Meaning: Towards the front; in the direction that one is facing or traveling.
Example: “He stepped forward to accept the award.”
Tail
Meaning: The hindmost part of an animal, especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body.
Example: “The dog wagged its tail happily.”
Tale
Meaning: A story, especially one that might be invented or difficult to believe.
Example: “She told us a fascinating tale about her journey across the Sahara.”
Threw
Meaning: Past tense of throw, which means to propel something with force through the air by a movement of the arm.
Example: “He threw the ball so hard it went over the fence.”
Through
Meaning: Moving in one side and out of the other side of (an opening, channel, or location).
Example: “We walked through the forest until we reached the clearing.”
Wax
Meaning: A sticky yellowish moldable substance secreted by honeybees as the material of honeycomb; beeswax.
Example: “She used wax to seal the envelope.”
Whacks
Meaning: Strike forcefully with a sharp blow or blows.
Example: “He whacks the piñata with a stick, hoping to break it open.”
Freeze
Meaning: To turn into ice or to become very cold.
Example: “Please don’t forget to bring your jacket, or you’ll freeze outside.”
Frieze
Meaning: A decorative band, usually found near the ceiling of rooms or on the outside of buildings.
Example: “The ancient Greek frieze depicted a battle scene in exquisite detail.”
Gait
Meaning: A person’s manner of walking.
Example: “The doctor could tell there was a problem just by observing her gait.”
Gate
Meaning: A hinged barrier used to close an opening in a fence or wall.
Example: “Please close the gate behind you to keep the dog in the yard.”
Throne
Meaning: A ceremonial chair for a sovereign or a deity.
Example: “The king sat upon his throne, addressing his subjects.”
Thrown
Meaning: Past participle of throw, meaning to propel something with force through the air by a movement of the arm.
Example: “The ball was thrown with such force that it broke the window.”
Weak
Meaning: Lacking strength or force.
Example: “After the illness, she felt too weak to go back to work immediately.”
Week
Meaning: A period of seven days.
Example: “We’re going on vacation for a week in July.”
Canvas
Meaning: A strong, heavy cloth used by artists for painting on, typically stretched over a frame.
Example: “He carefully selected a canvas for his next masterpiece.”
Canvass
Meaning: To solicit votes or opinions; to conduct a survey.
Example: “The volunteers went door to door to canvass the neighborhood before the election.”
Foreword
Meaning: A short introductory section in a book, typically by someone other than the author.
Example: “The foreword was written by a famous historian, which added prestige to the book.”
Forward
Meaning: Towards the front; in the direction that one is facing or traveling.
Example: “He stepped forward to accept the award.”
Tail
Meaning: The hindmost part of an animal, especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body.
Example: “The dog wagged its tail happily.”
Tale
Meaning: A story, especially one that might be invented or difficult to believe.
Example: “She told us a fascinating tale about her journey across the Sahara.”
Threw
Meaning: Past tense of throw, which means to propel something with force through the air by a movement of the arm.
Example: “He threw the ball so hard it went over the fence.”
Through
Meaning: Moving in one side and out of the other side of (an opening, channel, or location).
Example: “We walked through the forest until we reached the clearing.”
Wax
Meaning: A sticky yellowish moldable substance secreted by honeybees as the material of honeycomb; beeswax.
Example: “She used wax to seal the envelope.”
Whacks
Meaning: Strike forcefully with a sharp blow or blows.
Example: “He whacks the piñata with a stick, hoping to break it open.”
Faze
Meaning: To disturb or disconcert someone.
Example: The sudden blackout didn’t faze her; she just lit some candles and continued reading.
Phase
Meaning: A distinct period or stage in a process of change or forming part of something’s development.
Example: The project is only in its initial phase, but it’s already showing great promise.
Fie
Meaning: An exclamation of disgust or outrage.
Example: “Fie upon this traffic jam!” he exclaimed, frustrated by the delay.
Phi
Meaning: A letter in the Greek alphabet (Φ, φ), often used to represent the golden ratio in mathematics and art.
Example: The architect used phi in the design to achieve a sense of aesthetic harmony.
Manna
Meaning: In the Bible, the miraculous food that fell from heaven for the Israelites in the desert; something good that appears unexpectedly.
Example: The unexpected donation was like manna from heaven for the struggling charity.
Manner
Meaning: A way in which a thing is done or happens; a person’s outward bearing or way of behaving towards others.
Example: His polite manner made a good impression during the job interview.
Od
Meaning: A hypothetical force formerly thought to pervade natural phenomena.
Example: The old scientist spent his life studying od, convinced of its influence on human behavior.
Odd
Meaning: Different from what is usual or expected; strange.
Example: It’s odd that she didn’t call to confirm the appointment.
Pi
Meaning: The sixteenth letter of the Greek alphabet (Π, π), representing a mathematical constant, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, approximately 3.14159.
Example: In math class, we learned how to calculate the area of a circle using pi.
Pie
Meaning: A baked dish of fruit, or meat and vegetables, typically with a top and base of pastry.
Example: She baked an apple pie for dessert.
Coo
Meaning: The soft murmuring sound made by a dove or pigeon.
Example: The pigeons on the ledge began to coo softly in the early morning.
Coup
Meaning: A sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government.
Example: The military coup toppled the existing government overnight.
Hay
Meaning: Grass that has been mown and dried for use as fodder.
Example: The farmer stored the hay in the barn for the winter.
Hey
Meaning: Used to attract attention, to express surprise, interest, or annoyance, or to elicit agreement.
Example: Hey, look at this amazing sunset!
Hoarse
Meaning: Having a rough or harsh sounding voice, typically as a result of a sore throat or shouting.
Example: After the concert, her voice was hoarse from all the cheering.
Horse
Meaning: A large domesticated mammal with solid hoofs and a flowing mane and tail, used for riding, racing, and to carry and pull loads.
Example: She rode her horse through the meadow at dawn.
Whine
Meaning: A long, high-pitched complaining cry or sound.
Example: The child began to whine when he was told it was bedtime.
Wine
Meaning: An alcoholic drink made from fermented grape juice.
Example: They toasted their anniversary with a glass of red wine.
Ewe
Meaning: A female sheep.
Example: The ewe is nursing her newly born lamb in the field.
Yew
Meaning: A coniferous tree with red berrylike fruits, and most parts of the plant are poisonous.
Example: The ancient yew tree in the churchyard is believed to be over 500 years old.
Lac
Meaning: A resinous secretion of lac insects used in making varnishes and sealing wax.
Example: Traditional artisans use lac to create beautiful jewelry.
Lack
Meaning: The state of being without or not having enough of something.
Example: There is a lack of affordable housing in the city.
