Commonly Mistaken Homonyms: A Picture Guide
Written by tutor Lynne S.
Their, there, they're
The words in red are possessive, meaning they indicate that something belongs to someone.
Each word above in blue is a contraction, which means a pronoun and verb put together. The apostrophe takes the place of a missing letter.
Let’s look at them one set at a time.
its and it's
its = belonging to it
it's = it is (the ' takes the place of the second i)
Grab the umbrella by its handle because it's raining.
its handle - the handle belongs to the umbrella
it's raining = it is raining
Their, There, and They're
Their = belonging to them
There = -----> not here but over there
They're = they are (the ' takes the place of the a in "are")
They're going to move their chairs overe there.
|They're = they are (going to move...)
Their chairs - the chairs belong to each of them
There - the chairs are being moved to a different place: over there, not here
Your and You're
Your = belonging to you
You're = you are (the ' takes the place of a)
You're going to need yourcoat.
|You're = you are (going to need...)
Your coat = the coat that belongs to you
Dear and Deer
greeting in a letter or
Dear Aunt Sally,
I was with my dear friend when we saw a deer in the woods.
desert and dessert
|desert =||dessert =|
I had ice cream for dessert, but it melted because I was in the hot desert.
Tip: Dessert has two "S"'s because it is twice as sweet - and everyone wants more dessert.
know and no
|know =||to have knowledge of|
|no =||negative, opposite of yes|
You said "no" when I asked if you still live in Kansas. Now I know that you moved to Georgia.
miner and minor
|miner = someone who works in a mine, digging for coal or diamonds.|
|minor = 1. someone under 18
2. not very serious or important
Miners work hard, doing dangerous and dirty work.
A minor is too young to sign a legal contract. Minor has an o because oh, you are not old enough yet!
No one was hurt in the car accident. It was just a minor fender bender.
peer and pier
peer = someone who is an equal (of the same age, grade level or similar job status)
pier = a structure built partly on land, partly on water for boats to dock
A fisherman took a few of his peers (other fishermen) to the pier on the lake. Pier has an i because it is used by people who want to go fishing.
right or write
|right =||1. something you should be allowed to do or
2. on the right side (not left)
|write =||put words on paper|
The Constitution says that we have the right to write letters complaining to our government officials.
Unless you are left-handed, you probably write with your right hand.
Write starts with a w because it means to put words on paper.
then and than
|then = 1. a different time, not now
2. as a result, usually after "if"
|than = used when making a comparison|
If not now, then when?
I used to be a good runner, but I was much younger then.
First you defrost the meat, and then you turn the oven on.
If you are getting cold, then put on a sweater.
My shirt is a lighter shade of yellow than Mike's shirt.
I would rather walk in the park than go to the gym.
to, too, two
|to = preposition, as in: Let's go to the store.||two = a number|
|too = 1. also, 2. extremely|
Mom took two baskets of fruit to the food bank, and I did too! However, some of the grapes fell out of one basket because it had too many grapes.
toe and tow
|toe =||tow =|
I stubbed my toe, and now it hurts.
My parents gave me a present. It was a new car with a bow.
However I crashed it, and now it needs a tow.
Notice that bow and tow rhyme, and after the first letter, they are spelled the same.
weather and whether
|weather = how it feels outside:
hot, cold, dry, or wet
whether = if
Due to this unpredictable weather, I don't know whether I should carry an umbrella.
Tips: Remember that the phrase "whether he writes or not" repeats the "he."
In hot weather, you eat ice cream. In cold weather, you eat soup.
Homonyms Practice Quiz
For each of the following questions, write each answer in the box provided. Answer choices are in [brackets]. Questions will have more than o