Take care with homophones
Written by Pat Wootton, PromptProofing.com
Confusing homophones is easy to do and can really let your writing down. Homophones are words which sound the same when spoken, but are often spelled differently and have differences in meaning and origin.
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Take care with homophones
Confusing these is easy to do and can really let your writing down. Homophones are words which sound the same when spoken, but are often spelled differently and have differences in meaning and origin. The following are just some examples where homophones have been inadvertently misused. All have been spotted recently in magazines or on websites:
Example 1: formally / formerly
Susan Gates, formally Susan Smith, introduced the presentation.
Does Susan use the last name Smith for formal functions only? I very much doubt it, it is far more likely that she recently changed her name, perhaps as a result of marriage or divorce. 'Formerly' would therefore be correct.
Formally means 'in a formal way' e.g. You should dress formally for a job interview.
Formerly means 'previously' e.g. The Coffee Grind on Main St., formerly known as The Coffee Bean, is now open for business.
Example 2: loose / lose
Strictly speaking these two words are not quite homophones, since there is a slight but noticeable difference in the pronounciation - with 'lose' the 's' should sound more like a 'z'. Nevertheless, they are frequently confused.
Loose means 'not tight' and is an adjective (the verb is loosen), whereas lose is a verb and means 'to misplace'.
Consider:
I left my phone at home because I was afraid I might lose it.
I have lost so much weight; these pants are really loose.
Example 3: hear / here
One easy way to remember this one is to remember that 'hear' contains the word 'ear' - you hear with your ear(s).
If you wish to applaud or support what someone else has just said, then the correct expression is "Hear, hear!". "Here, here!" would suggest you were calling your dog!
Example 4: allowed / aloud
Is the following correct?
We are not aloud to enter the pavilion without a ticket.
No. Try this instead: We are not allowed to enter the pavilion without a ticket.
Aloud means 'out loud' e.g. Some children like it if you read aloud to them.
Allowed means 'permitted' e.g. Dogs are not allowed in the store.
Example 5: whether / weather
I don't know weather or not he is coming.
Correct? No!
If you are not sure about something, then you don't know whether or not it will happen.
Weather is what is happening outside your window, snow, rain, sun etc.
And last, but by no means least:
Example 6: your / you're and their / they're
All too often we see examples of 'your' or 'their' when the writer really means 'you're' or they're.
e.g. Your beginning to get the idea now.
You won't make this error if you think through what you really mean - it should say 'You are beginning to get the idea now.' In informal writing, it is perfectly acceptable to shorten 'you are' to 'you're'. You're beginning to get the idea now. 'Your' on the other hand, is a possessive pronoun, e.g. Is that your coat?
The same rule applies to their / they're:
e.g. Dad and Paul just called, they're almost there. (Shortened from ...they are almost there.)
The students all left their books on the table.
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About the Author
Pat Wootton is originally from England and is a former high school English teacher. Having spent many years in the Caribbean, where she raised her family, she now lives in Vancouver, BC. In addition, she has taught English as a Second Language (ESL) for several years after earning a diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from the University of British Columbia. She now owns and runs Prompt Proofing, a copy editing and writing service that caters to individuals and partners with marketing and public relations companies.
