Homophones

Homophones

Be aware of words that sound like one another, but in fact have different meanings and spellings. Word will not always highlight these as mistakes when used incorrectly, so they can easily be missed when proofreading.

These are very sloppy mistakes however, and look extremely unprofessional so please don't do this!! The context of the sentence will always clarify which word is meant.

#

Common Homophones

##

Bare and Bear

• Bear: 'Please bear with me' (to tolerate)

• Bare: 'Please bare with me' is incorrect

##

To and Too

• Too = as well as, also

• To = direction, infinitive

##

Bored and Board

• Bored: feeling uninterested

• Board: plank of wood, group of directors

##

Your and You're

• Your: possessive ("your book")

• You're: contraction of "You are"

#

Key Principle

Always check context to ensure you're using the correct spelling. When in doubt:

1. Consider the meaning in context

2. Check if it's possessive (your) or a contraction (you're)

3. Verify the intended meaning

#

Best Practices

• Read sentences back to check meaning

• Use spell check but don't rely on it entirely

• Understand the context before choosing spelling

• Proofread carefully for these common errors