English spellings

Homophones are words that are pronounced the same. English, famous for its varied spellings, is rich in homophones, but it also has many homonyms, words which are spelt the same, and homographs, words which look the same but have different pronunciation. In this alphabetical list, the most common word is placed first in the entry.

The words in italics suggest meaning, the accents show stress and pronunciation (see English phonemes) and the equals sign = (or approximately equals sign ≈) is placed between the homophones: in some cases other words are included for contrast (after cf.).

A

 letter = èh? what?

àh response ≈ àaah sentiment ≈ àaargh disgust (in the latter cases more a´s may be added)

âble capable = Âbel person

ádd more = ád advertisement

advîser = advîsor (alternatives)

âid help = âide assistant; Âids or ÂIDS disease = âids, âides plurals

ãir breathe = Ãyr Scotland = ére before = é’er ever = héir estate

ãiry light = all four spellings of éyrie = éyry = ãerie = ãery bird, cf. êerie strange

alîgn = a lîne, cf. állŷ friend, állêy way

åll every = åwl tool, cf. Ál person

allót assign = a lót much

állêy path = Áli person

alòud audible = allòwed allow

alréady before = åll réady ready

alrîght = åll rîght: the former is an informal variant, probably by analogy with alréady

ålter change = åltar church

aménds make = eménds alters

ántì- (BrE) against = ántê- before (AmE says ántî-)

apâce fast = a pâce step

àrc circle = Àrk Noah

Argŷll Scotland = Argŷle Plymouth, hard g

ascént climb = assént agree

āunt uncle AmE = ánt insect

åural ear = ŏral voice

Àussie Australian = Óssy = Óssie persons

Àusten Jane = Àustin car, Texas

åutarchy sovereignty = åutarky self-sufficiency

awêigh anchors = awây go

áxle car = Áxel person

B

báchelor unmarried = Bátchelor person

bácks back = Báx person

bád evil = báde asked

bâil law, cricket = bâle hay, parachute

bâilie magistrate = Bâiley person

bâit hook = bâte fury, restrain

bâize cloth = bâys bay

Bàli island = BrE bàrley crop

båll game = båwl shout

bàlmy sea = BrE bàrmy daft

bánd music = bánned ban

bàrd poet, bacon = bàrred bar

bāsk sun = Bāsque people

báss fish = Báss person

bâste pour, sew = bâsed base

bāth water = Bāth city cf. bâthe swim, final e signifying voiced th

bê is = bêe insect

bêach sand = bêech tree

bêad string = Bêde person

béãr tolerate, animal = bãre naked, cf. bêer drink, hêar hearing

bêat win, hit, rhythm = bêet sugar

bêater beat BrE = bêta Greek

beau boyfriend = Bô Diddley

bêetle insect = Bêatle Beatles, cf. bêat rhythm

bêen was = bêan eat

bêer drink = bìêr coffin

bërk BrE insult = Bürke person

bérry fruit = bury ground

Bílly usually male = Bíllie usually female = bílly goat

bïrth born = bërth ship

bîte teeth = bŷte computer = bîght loop

blānch white = Blānche person

blãre noise = Blãir person

blóck prevent, wood, building = blóc grouping

blónd male person, male and female adjective = blónde female person

blûe colour = bleŵ blow

bŏre boring, carried bŏar animal = bŏor rude, cf. Boer *Bùer South Africa

bŷ preposition = buŷ sell = bŷ- incidental = bŷe cricket = bî- two = bî bisexual