Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings, like there, their and they're. They cause more spelling mistakes in Years 3 to 6 than almost anything else, because the ear cannot help.
Below you will find every homophone on the national curriculum spelling lists with meanings, example sentences and a tap-to-hear button. There is also a game, memory tricks, and a printable version for the fridge.
- A homophone sounds the same as another word but is spelt differently and means something else: knight and night.
- A homonym sounds the same and is spelt the same, but means something else: a bat that flies and a bat for cricket.
- A homograph is spelt the same but means something else, and often sounds different: tear in your eye and a tear in your jumper.
- The KS2 curriculum names 22 homophone groups for Years 3 and 4 and 17 for Years 5 and 6. All of them are in the list below.
What is a homophone?
The word comes from Greek: homo means "same" and phone means "sound". So a homophone is a "same sound" word.
Say pair and pear out loud and you cannot tell them apart. On paper they are different words, and only the meaning of the sentence tells you which spelling to use.
Homophones vs homonyms vs homographs
These three words trip up adults too. The easiest way to keep them apart is to ask two questions: do they sound the same, and are they spelt the same?
Tap a label below to light up its part of the diagram and see examples.
Pick one to see examples.
| Type | Sounds the same? | Spelt the same? | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homophone | Yes | No | flour, flower |
| Homonym | Yes | Yes | bark (dog), bark (tree) |
| Homograph | Not always | Yes | lead (metal), lead (to guide) |
| Near homophone | Almost | No | accept, except |
Some books use "homonym" loosely to mean any of the three. For KS2, the national curriculum only asks children to spell homophones and near homophones correctly, so that is where to put the effort.
The complete KS2 homophones list
This list covers every homophone group on the national curriculum statutory spelling lists for Years 3 and 4 and Years 5 and 6. We have added the common early ones too, like to, too, two, because those cause the most mistakes in written work.
Search for a word, filter by year group, or tap the speaker to hear it. Each word comes with its meaning and a sentence.
Near homophones sound very alike but not quite the same, such as accept and except. The curriculum groups them with homophones because children muddle them in the same way.
Pick the right word: a homophones game
Read the sentence and tap the word that fits the gap. Build a streak, then challenge a friend to beat it.
Memory tricks for the trickiest homophones
Rules are hard to remember mid-sentence. A picture hidden inside the spelling is much quicker, so here are the tricks we see work best.
You hear with your ear
Hear has "ear" inside it. Here hides inside there and where, and all three are about places.
A piece of pie
Spot the word pie at the start of piece. Peace is the calm one, like a dove.
Stationery has e for envelope
Stationary with an a means parked, like a car standing still.
The principal is your pal
A principal is a person in charge. A principle is a rule, and both end in le.
Practice and practise
Think of advice (a thing) and advise (doing it), which you can hear. C is the thing, s is the doing.
Expand the apostrophe
Read they're as they are, it's as it is, who's as who is. If the long version sounds wrong, you need the other spelling.
Five minutes a day beats a long list on Sunday
Pip mixes homophones into short daily English sessions and tracks each child's Pip Score, so you can see which spellings have settled and which need another go.
How to help your child learn homophones
Children rarely get homophones wrong because they cannot spell. They get them wrong because they write the first spelling that comes to mind without checking the meaning.
- Learn them in pairs, never alone. Teach meat and meet together, each with its own sentence, so the difference is the thing being learned.
- Draw them. A quick sketch of a knight next to a moon for night lasts longer than copying the word five times.
- Say the meaning, then write. Before writing, ask "which one, the number or the word for also?" It takes two seconds and stops most mistakes.
- Hunt for them in reading. Spotting homophones in a book shows them used properly in context.
- Little and often. A few minutes most days, coming back to the mixed-up pairs, beats one long session.
For a wider spelling routine, our free 11+ spelling list PDF uses look, cover, write and check. Children who enjoy games can try Homophone Heist in the Pip arcade.
Homophones in KS2 SATs and the 11+
The KS2 SATs spelling paper reads out 20 sentences and children write the missing word, so homophones from the statutory lists turn up regularly. The grammar paper can also ask children to pick the correct word for a sentence.
In the 11+, homophones show up in English spelling and grammar questions and in some verbal reasoning question types. See what 11+ English tests and practise with our free 11+ English questions.
Got the list? Now test it properly.
Pip turns this page into a daily habit: new sentences each time, instant feedback, and a Pip Score that shows real progress.
Frequently asked questions
What is a homophone?+
A homophone is a word that sounds the same as another word but has a different spelling and meaning. Examples are night and knight, sea and see, and there, their and they're.
What are 10 examples of homophones?+
there, their and they're; to, too and two; your and you're; hear and here; peace and piece; knight and night; flour and flower; sea and see; one and won; and meat and meet.
What is the difference between a homophone and a homonym?+
Homophones sound the same but are spelt differently, like pair and pear. Homonyms sound the same and are spelt the same but mean different things, like a bat that flies and a cricket bat.
What is a homograph?+
A homograph is spelt the same as another word but has a different meaning, and often a different sound. Tear (from your eye) and tear (a rip) are homographs.
What year do children learn homophones?+
Children meet simple homophones in Year 2. The national curriculum lists specific homophones for Years 3 and 4 and more for Years 5 and 6.
What is a near homophone?+
A near homophone sounds very like another word but not exactly the same. Accept and except, and affect and effect, are common examples on the KS2 list.
Are homophones in the KS2 SATs?+
Yes. The KS2 spelling test often includes words from the statutory homophone lists, and the grammar paper can ask children to choose the right word for a sentence.
The Pip team builds Pip, the 11+ and KS2 practice app for children in years three to six. We write these guides from real exam formats and past papers.