HOMOPHONES Words that sound the same but mean completely different things.

Homophones  It is important to pick the correct spelling so people know exactly what you mean in your writing.  Here are some useful ways to remember the different meanings and spellings of some common homophones.

 Dear is the first word to write in a letter to every auntie.  A deer is an animal. Dear Deer

Desert Dessert  A desert is full of sand. The word desert has one S.  But a dessert is a cake full of sweet stuff, with two Ss. Think of it as a second helping!

Flower Flour  It takes an hour to grind the flour.  Flowers bloom in spring.

Hear Here  You hear with your ears.  Here is where you are.

Knew New  I knew the answer to that question.  My mom bought me a new pair of sneakers.

Pair Pear  A pair spelled like this means that you have two matching items, such as a pair of shoes.  A pear is a fruit that is delicious to eat.

Ring Wring People wear rings on their fingers. Wring with a W means to twist the water out of a wet cloth.

Brake/ Break  If you’re in a rush, don’t forget to brake when you take a corner on your bike.  If you accidently break a window it’s best to: Blame Really Energetic Angry Kangaroos! Brake Break

Allowed/Aloud When you say something aloud, you will know how it is spelled by remembering you it out loud.  However, when you are allowed to do something, you have permission to do it. Aloud Allowed

Buy/By/Bye  To sort out the differences between these three words, just memorize this sentence. Example: I always say bye-bye when I pass by on the way to the store to buy something.

Their/There/They’re  Their means that something belongs to them. The E must come first. This common word breaks the I before E spelling rule.  There is a place. It’s here with a T in front. You go from here to there.  They’re is a shorter way of saying they are. The apostrophe in the middle tells you that a letter has been left out.

Accept/Except  When you accept a gift, you can remember it is spelled with the letters ac because you acquire something new. That’s great-except if the gift makes you angry!  Say this to yourself as a reminder: I will accept anything, except excuses!