What are Homophones?
Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings.
their / there / they're — all pronounced the same!
there / their / they're
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| there | a place, or to introduce a sentence | The book is over there. / There is a problem. |
| their | belonging to them (possessive) | I like their house. |
| they're | they are (contraction) | They're coming to dinner. |
Trick: they're has an apostrophe → short for they are. Try replacing with they are — if it makes sense, use they're.
your / you're
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| your | belonging to you | Is that your bag? |
| you're | you are (contraction) | You're very kind. |
to / too / two
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| to | direction, or part of infinitive | I walk to school. / I like to read. |
| too | also; or more than enough | I want some too. / That's too loud. |
| two | the number 2 | I have two sisters. |
More Common Homophones
| Pair | Meanings |
|---|---|
| its / it's | belonging to it / it is |
| hear / here | to listen / a place |
| no / know | not yes / to have knowledge |
| right / write | correct, direction / to write |
| by / buy / bye | near, past / to purchase / goodbye |
| wear / where / were | to wear clothes / a place / past of "are" |
Real world: social media and text messages
"They're coming to the party — their house is too far to drive, so we're getting a taxi." "Is that your bag? You're going to miss your bus — it's by the entrance, not over there!"
Real world: student essay corrections
✗ The students went to there classroom. → ✓ ...to their classroom. ✗ I like ice cream to. → ✓ I like ice cream too. ✗ Your welcome. → ✓ You're welcome.
Practice Problems
Choose: '__ going to the park.' (There / Their / They're)
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Choose: 'I want some cake __.' (to / too / two)
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Choose: 'Did you hear about the new school __ the library?' (by / buy)