1. Homophones

2. Affect / Effect Affect indicates influence (action word)
Example: The medicine did not affect her the way the doctor had hoped.
Effect is used as a noun (i.e. the butterfly effect)
Example: The new medicine had negative side effects.

3. Then / Than Than is used for comparisons
Example: John is much taller than his brother.
Then indicates the passage of time or when
Example: We went to the park in the morning, and then we left to pick up lunch.

4. Here / Hear Here indicates location
Example: Please come back here and put your shoes away!
Hear indicates listening
Example: Can you hear the birds' beautiful singing outside?

5. Are / Our Are is a “be verb”
Example: We are staying at the hotel closest to the stadium.
Example: They are my cousins.
Our is an adjective or possessive pronoun
Example: They will bring our keys to the hotel lobby.

6. Accept / Except Accept is a verb meaning to receive
Example: The organization will accept donations through the first of the month.
Except is a preposition meaning exclude
Example:You may donate all items except car seats and cribs.

7. There / Their / They’re There is used in terms of place or direction
Example: Please put that book over there.
Their is a possessive pronoun.
Example: The students put their coats in the closet.
They're is the contraction for they are. Replace they’re with “they are” to see if the sentence makes sense.
Example: They're going to have practice immediately after school today.

8. Your / You’re
You're is a contraction for you are. Replace you’re with “you are” to see if the sentence makes sense.
Example: You're going to absolutely love this new recipe.
Your is a possessive pronoun.
Example: Please bring your books to class with you tomorrow.

9. Lie / Lay Lie indicates the act of reclining
Example: I am tired just watching the dog lie in the warm sunlight.
Lay indicates the placement of something
Example: Please lay the paper on the table.

10. To / Too / Two To can be a preposition describe a place.
Example: We're going to the park.
Too is an adverb that can mean excessively when it precedes an adjective or adverb.
Example: I ate too much ice cream for dessert.
Too is a synonym for also.
Example: I ate too much ice cream for dessert, too.
Two is a number.
Example: Marcy ate two pieces of pie.

11. Sense / Since / Cents
Sense is a verb meaning to feel or a noun meaning intelligence
Example: You really need some common sense.
Since is an adverb that is synonymous with “because”
Example: Since you went to the store yesterday, we will not need to go again today.
Cents is a form of currency
Example: I have ten cents in my pocket.