20 Words that sound alike but have different meaning

Homophones

Ever been confused with words like You and You’re? You know they have different meanings but when someone says it to you then you get pretty much confused and start wondering which one was used. The words that sound alike are called Homophones. Well, Surprise! There are hundreds of words in English language that are homophones which can confuse you every day.

So, to ease your problem out we bring you a list of 20 words that sound way too similar but have a different meaning ….

Check out the list of these words by clicking NEXT

The words principle and principal are pronounced in the same way but they do not have the same meaning.

• Principle: It basically means-A general truth or a fundamental law. It is used as a noun. (The principle of Archimedes).
• Principal: It means- Most important and it is generally used as an adjective. (Air pollution is a principal cause of respiratory problems).
  But it is can be used as a noun, when we talk about Head of the school, college or university.

Sensor and Censor are extreme confused words because their pronunciation looks similar.

• Sensor: Any device that receives a signal and responds to it.(Thermocouple- A sensor used to measure temperature).
• Censor: An official who examines films and has the right to eliminate any of the contents which may displease people. (The few scenes from the movie have been censored by the board).

What is the difference between Desert and dessert?

• Desert: A barren area, which is dry and sandy, where cultivation is restricted. To leave or abandon (Terrorist were trying to desert).
• Dessert: The sweet served in the end of a meal; pudding. (Children love to had ice-cream for dessert).

The words Council and Counsel looks familiar, but they are independent. Council is noun, whereas counsel is noun and verb.

• Council: A meeting of people for advice. (The government is incomplete without the council of ministers).
• Counsel: Advice, opinion regarding the judgment. (Sharing problems with the counselor can help in eradicating them).

Are you confused with the words, Loose and Lose?  If yes, then you are not the only one who is facing this problem. Let’s rectify it now. First of all Loose is an adjective and lose is a verb.

• Loose: Anything which is not tied properly. (The loose connections end up with faults).
• Lose: Fail to gain something or to miss. (One should never lose an opportunity).

The words discreet and discrete are pronounced alike but their meanings are different.

• Discreet: Cautious and not saying anything which might cause worry.(One should be discreet in making big decisions).
• Discrete: Separate, Distinct and Different. (A problem can be handled with discrete methods).

At times the use of stationary and stationery in the sentence make you confuse.

• Stationary: Something which is fixed at one place and not moving or immobile.(A bike collided with a stationary car).
• Stationery: Writing materials, as pencils, papers etc. (Candidates are always advised to carry their own stationery items during exams).

Is these words course and coarse baffles you regarding where to use them? So let’s have a look on them to understand.

• Course: The route or direction in which someone moves a dish. (To stay fit, one needs to take a proper course meal).
• Coarse: Rough in texture, Rude and Vulgar.(Body moisturizer avoids coarse skin).

What is the difference between complement and compliment?

• Complement: Something that completes or make perfect.(Dessert is a complement to a good meal).
• Compliment: An expression of praise or flattery.(Compliments always boost the individual).

The words gorilla and guerilla looks similar, but they are different in meanings.

• Gorilla: One of the four species of great apes that are the closest living relatives of humans.
• Guerilla: A member of a small group of fighters who make sudden attacks on an enemy, especially against larger forces.

Herd and Heard are one of the most confusing words, as they convey different meanings.

• Herd: A group of animals of one kind that stays or kept together. (A herd of monkeys).
• Heard: The sense of hearing. (Have you heard that?)

Are you confused with the words weather and whether? If yes, then you are not the only one because many people encounter this problem.

• Weather: It is the atmospheric conditions at a particular place and time with in respect of wind, rain, heat, cold etc. (Weather in Jaipur is utmost hot in summers and sorely cold in winters).
• Whether: Expressing an enquiry or choice between alternatives. (I doubt whether we can do it).

These words knight and night sounds identical, but they are different in meaning as both words differ by the alphabet k.

• Knight: A piece used in chess, usually shaped like a horse’s head and in earlier times a men who is trained to fight. (In chess the Knight moves in the shape of L).
• Night: Period between sunset and sunrise. (Every night is followed by the day).

The words defuse and diffuse are very familiar in pronunciation. Both of them are verb, but passes different meaning.

• Defuse: To remove the fuse from a bomb or mine. (Bomb diffusing squad successfully diffused the bomb).
• Diffuse: to pour out and spread in all the direction.(Water diffused over a surface)

These words pour and pore are sounds similar, but they are different in meaning

• Pour: To flow in a stream, To rain it heavily.(He poured the water into a bottle).
• Pore: A tiny hole.(Stomata are the leaf pores, that controls the exchange of water between plant and atmosphere).

Team and Teem, as both words are pronounced similar but they carry different sense.

• Team: A group of players forming a side in a game.(A Barcelona football team)
• Teem: to be full of or overflowing with. (The cricket stadium was teeming with audience).

These words hail and hale are bit confusing, because they sounds same and spelled differently.

• Hail: To salute or cheer, small balls of ice falling from the clouds. (Ice hails are good enough to cause great damage).
• Hale: disease free, healthy and fit. (Every day exercise will make you hale).

Satire and satyr are different in alphabets, but sounds identical.

• Satire: irony, sarcasm. (A boy born on 29 February 1996 says on same day in 2020, I will 6 years old, in fact he is right…).
• Satyr: Men with strong sexual desire. (Harry was an unmarried satyr).

The words cite, sight and site are identical in pronunciation but their beginning alphabets vary.

• Cite: To praise (esp. Armed forces) in an official report for a valiant act.(Courageous people are often cited for their work).
• Sight: A thing that one sees or that can be seen. (Vitamin A helps in improving the eye sight).
• Site: A part of land on which structures are constructed. (The site for the temple construction is selected).

Assent and ascent sounds interchangeable but while using them you can’t.

• Assent: To agree or concur. (To assent to a statement).
• Ascent: Rising, Upward movement. (Stock market ascended).