Guide · homophones
Homophones for Kids: A List and Tricks to Tell Them Apart
Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and mean different things: there/their/they're, to/too/two, hear/here, write/right. The spelling depends on the meaning, so kids learn them in pairs with a trick for each.
Common homophones
there / their / they're · to / too / two · your / you're · its / it's · hear / here · write / right · know / no · knew / new · one / won · son / sun · see / sea · flower / flour · pair / pear · bear / bare.
Tricks that stick
Here and there both contain here, and both are places. You hear with your ear. Their has I in it: it belongs to someone. Too has too many o's. You're and they're are two words squashed together.
Practice in sentences
Homophones can't be practised as single words. The meaning decides the spelling. Always say them in a sentence, and get kids to write their own.
How to do it with Spellcove
- Play the 3rd grade homophones list.
- Cannon Duel and Clam Pop make kids choose between look-alike spellings.
- Print a spelling test and read each word in a sentence.
- Collect the ones your child mixes up and make a custom list.
Questions people ask
What grade learns homophones?
Usually 2nd and 3rd grade, revisited through 5th.
What's the difference between homophones and homonyms?
Homophones sound the same (sea/see). Homonyms are spelled the same too (bat the animal, bat for baseball).
Take the cove with you
The Spellcove app has everything you can play here, plus the parts that need a real app: every word read aloud so kids can practice alone, offline play for car rides, a parent view of which words have stuck, and the full treasure collection.
Coming soon on theApp Store