Why You Should Beware Homophones
Mistaking a word for a similar one is not an uncommon mistake, but an important one to catch when editing your work. Here, Audrey Wick shares why you should beware homophones and shares a homophone-catching test to practice with.
Homophones are words that sound similar but that have different spellings and meanings. The English language is full of homophones, and while some word processing programs can catch misuse, technology is not foolproof. Writers are ultimately responsible for their choices, so awareness and practice can go a long way in alleviating errors.
First, let’s try a test. How sharp are your eyes? Can you catch the homophone errors in the following paragraph? Count the number of errors.
Homophones are confusing words that can be tough to sea. When it comes too writing, individual choices our important. But how can won spot errors? Their is know shortcut two it. Awareness, knowledge, and editing are the best ways to bee proactive in the process to help assure each word is write.
How many homophones did you spot? Scroll to the end of the article to see the answer. If you didn’t catch all the errors, don’t fret. Practice and a few tips can help you get better.
Ultimately, writers want their readers to pay attention to the ideas on the page, so errors should be minimized. That way, readers are not distracted or confused by misuse.
To that end, there are two categories to consider: homophones and near-homophones. Homophones are words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings (words like to/too/two and their/there/they’re). Near-homophones are words that are close in sound but not exact (words like assure/ensure and lose/loose). These words can be difficult to spot and elusive to word processing program tools designed to catch errors.
How to Catch Homophones While Editing
There are, however, some smart ways to approach the editing process when looking for both homophones and near-homophones.
- Consider parts of speech. Know the difference between how words function in a sentence. For instance, “cite” is usually a verb that means “to quote.” “Site” is usually a noun that means “location.” “Than” is a conjunction that compares (“I like this more than that”) while “then” is an adverb that denotes time (“I walked, then I ran”). When in doubt about use, let a dictionary guide you.
- Beware verb tense. Some words change form with an added ending but may sound similar when pronounced aloud, such as “ban” versus “banned” or “bias” versus “biased.” Enunciate words carefully when reading aloud and check their use on the page to ensure accuracy.
- Use preferred spelling conventions. If writing in American English, opt for common spellings that may be different than British conventions, such as “theater” instead of “theatre” or “check” instead of “cheque.” The same is true of preferred usage, such as the American propensity to use “toward” rather than the British “towards.”
- Check for contractions. Words with an apostrophe are a shortened form of two words, so look for cases of “its” versus “it’s” or “whose” versus “who’s.” If the sentence makes sense with the full words (“it is” or “who is”), then the contraction is the correct form.
How to Correct Homophones While Editing
Then, these approaches can be used to aid writers in correcting errors through the editing process.
- Try a different form of proofreading. Print a document to edit as a hard copy. Seeing the words away from a digital screen can sometimes help. Additionally, missing letters or transposed letters can change the meaning of sentences, so increasing the font size or style to see typos can alert to such errors as “where” instead of “were” or “quite” instead of “quiet.”
- Keep a homophone log. Some writers keep this in a notebook; some prefer an ongoing digital document. Either way, knowing which words are commonly confused by you can help you look more closely for them in each of your writing projects. Write short explanations in the log that you can remember, like distinguishing between “weather” (the word that refers to climate) and “whether” (the word that refers to a choice) or “everyday” (the adjective form) and “every day” (the noun form).
- Beware autocorrect. Fast typing can result in word processing programs making changes that writers don’t intend, such as “defiantly” for “definitely” or “constipate” for “concentrate.” The wrong word can be disastrous in a sentence, so don’t rely exclusively on autocorrect as a means of editing.
- Err on the side of formality. Although “u” may be common in text messages, use “you” in professional cases. The same is true of “thru” versus “through,” with the second being more formal. When in doubt, a dictionary can also be consulted.
Language is nuanced, and writers play an important role in using that nuance to communicate ideas to an audience. Being careful and proofreading for homophones will help writers communicate more clearly.
How Many Homophones Were There?
There are 10 errors of homophone usage in the paragraph:
Homophones are confusing words that can be tough to sea. When it comes too writing, individual choices our important. But how can won spot errors? Their is know shortcut two it. Awareness, knowledge, and editing are the best ways to bee proactive in the process to help assure each word is write.
Here are the correct words:
Homophones are confusing words that can be tough to see. When it comes to writing, individual choices are important. But how can one spot errors? There is no shortcut to it. Awareness, knowledge, and editing are the best ways to be proactive in the process to help ensure each word is right.
Audrey Wick is an author with Harlequin (Harper Collins) and full-time professor of English at Blinn College (Texas). She has authored educational content in college textbooks for Cengage and been a repeat contributor to Writer's Digest, Woman's World, and Chicken Soup for the Soul, with stories also appearing in various literary journals. Audrey believes the secret to happiness includes lifelong learning and good stories. But travel and coffee help. She has journeyed to over twenty countries—and sipped coffee in every one. See photos on her website audreywick.com and follow her on X and Instagram @WickWrites.
