Homonyms – Same spelling, different meaning
The word homophone originates from the Greek homo means same and phone means sound. Earnestly speaking thus, the word homophone is used to refer to words which sound identical, though they have a diverse spelling and meaning.
Here are a few examples:
mail, male; wear, ware; metal, mettle; etc.
A homonym, in contrast, is used to refer to words which have the same spelling and pronunciation but have a different meaning.
Here are a few examples:
May (month), may (possibility); can (be able), can (put something in container); bear (the animal), bear (to carry).
List Of Common Homonyms
1. Accept
Example: He did not accept your leave application.
Except
Example: Everyone in the room except Rita come out.
2. Access
Example: Please provide your access details.
Excess
Example: An excess of eating is not healthy.
3. Advise
Example: You advise him to continue his further studies.
Advice
Example: Do not ignore doctor's advice.
4. Affect
Example: Smoking will affect your health.
Effect
Example: It was the result of the magnetic effect.
5. Antic
Example: His clown like antic behavior surprised me.
Antique
Example: The showpiece was an antique one.
6. Altar
Example: I am studying the history of Christian history.
Alter
Example: Please go to the shop to alter the dress.
7. Ascent
Example: The story of his ascent to success was a remarkable one.
Assent
Example: The bride's father gave his assent to the marriage proposal.
8. Adapt
Example: It takes time to adapt to new culture.
Adept
Example: She is adept in handicrafts.
9. Apposite
Example: He is famous for his apposite speeches.
Opposite
Example: Opposites attract.
10. Apprise
Example: Would you like to apprise the students about the hike in fees?
Appraise
Example: Appraise the situation before you act.
11. Accessory
Example: The Gucci handbag that she carries is her all time favorite accessory.
Accessary
Example: She was an accessary to the crime.
12. Aural
Example: Usually a migraine is preceded by aural effects.
Oral
Example: He was going for an oral surgery.
13. Auxiliary
Example: There are no auxiliary branches of this shop.
Axillary
Example: The doctor looked at the axillary gland.
14. Ablution
Example: Ablution is the ritual washing of a priest's hands or of sacred vessels
Oblation
Example: In earlier days, child oblation was practiced to please gods.
15. Ail
Example: Your untimely work schedule will ail you someday.
Ale
Example: Ale was a common drink in olden days.
16. Assay
Example: Assay the sample properly to see how much enzyme is present.
Essay
Example: He wrote great essays on socialism.
17. Allay
Example: The doctor is trying hard to allay the crying child.
Alley
Example: There is an old alley in the town.
18. Angle
Example: The angle between perpendicular lines is 90degrees.
Angel
Example: Anny was as innocent as an angel.
19. Bail
Example: The guilty was soon released on bail.
Bale
Example: Transport the bale of cotton to another city.
20. Bridal
Example: The bridal dress was prepared by the girl's aunt.
Bridle
Example: The movement was an attempt to bridle the power of the dictator.
21. Born
Example: He was born on 14 th of March.
Borne
Example: Great difficulties were borne by the people of this country to get freedom.
22. Bore
Example: The movie was a complete bore.
Boar
Example: We caught the boar in jungle.
23. Beside
Example: I want to sit beside you.
Besides
Example: I do not want to go to the movie, besides, we can not afford it.
24. Blew
Example: The wind blew from the east
Blue
Example: The color of the sky is blue.
25. Birth
Example: The couple celebrated the birth of their first child.
Berth
Example: Sleeping on the berth of a train is not all a comforting experience.
26. Cession
Example: How much land did the US acquire from the Mexican cession?
Session
Example: The session with the marriage counselor went well.
27. Chord
As noun
Example: The diameter is the longest chord of a circle.
As verb
Example: The musician taught me how to play the major chord.
Cord
Example: Tie the bundle with a cord.
28. Corps
Example: The doctors in the Army Medical Corps demanded for a hike in their salary.
Core:
Example: The executive board is the core of the organization.
29. Check
Example: Check for the errors in your credit report.
Cheque
Example: We withdraw money from our bank by writing a cheque.
30. Canvas
Example: Canvas paintings are put on sale in the art exhibition.
Canvass
Example: After the election,
the members of the student
union were assigned to canvass the campus to find out the
opinions of the students about
the key issues.