English (RP) Homophones pairs
This is a list of English homophones (words with different spellings and meanings but the same pronunciation) in the word list created by Roger Mitton from the Advanced Learners' Dictionary of Current English. Mitton added a large number of proper names to the word stock of the dictionary, and encoded the pronunciations following the scheme suggested by John Wells for the Alvey project. All I have done here is re-index the dictionary according to pronunciation and identify any adjacent identical pairs.
Originally 2750 homophone pairs, 5500 words, showed up when the pronunciations were indexed. A number of these were alternative spellings of the same word, such as Maharajah/Maharaja, Czar/Tsar, realise/realize , etc. After eliminating these I came down to 2782 words. These included one group of six homophones, air, Aire, Ayr, e'er, ere and heir , seventeen groups of four homophones, and 104 groups of three homophones. The remaining 1200 pairs included 115 pairs of compound forms of -man/-men, such as airman/airmen , in which the vowel difference has been neutralised, and 16 loan words or phrases from French, such as tour de force/tours de force , in which the singular/plural distinction is seen and not heard. These last two categories have been listed separately .
There is one category which I have omitted with some misgiving, namely the homonyms (same spelling and pronunciation, different meanings) in which one member of the pair is a proper noun and would always be capitalised while the other is not. These are words like Jack/jack, China/china, Barking/barking, Welsh/welsh, Art/art, and so on. They almost meet the definition of homophone pairs (same sound, different spelling, different meaning) but not in all contexts. I have, however, included homophones where one member of the pair is a proper noun provided that the two words are spelled differently, as in the case of Brighton/brighten, Chile/chilly, Cowes/cows , and so on.The homophone pairs involving post-vocalic -r, such as caught/court and ion/iron , will not be homophones for speakers of rhotic dialects. There is also room for argument over homophone pairs where one of the words ends in -r, such as awe/ore , since even for RP speakers these will not always be homophones when the next word begins with a vowel. However, these have been included here.
a aye eh
ad add
adds ads adze
ail ale
ails ales
air Aire Ayr e'er ere heir
airs heirs
airy eyrie
aisle isle I'll
aisles isles
aitches h's
Ali alley
all awl
allowed aloud
alms arms
altar alter
altars alters
analyst annalist
analysts annalists
Anne an
arc ark
arcs arks
are r
aren't aunt
Arguses argosies
Artie arty
ascent assent
ascents assents
auger augur
augers augurs
aught ought
aural oral
aureole oriole
aureoles orioles
away aweigh
awe ore or
awes oars ores
ax axe
ay aye eye i I
ayed eyed I'd
ayes ays eyes i's
b be
b's bees
baa bah
baaed bard barred
baas bars
bad bade
bail bale
bailed baled
bailing baling
bails bales
bait bate
baited bated
baiting bating
baits bates
baize bays
bald balled
ball bawl
balled bawled
balling bawling
balls bawls
balm barm
balmy barmy
banded bandied
bang bhang
banns bans
bare bear
barer bearer
bares bears
baring bearing
bark barque
barks barques
baron barren
base bass
based baste
bawd board
bawds boards
bay bey
be bee
beaches beeches
bean been
beat beet
beaters betas
beau bo bow
beaux bows
beer bier
beers biers
beetle betel
beetles betels
bell belle
belles bells
berg burg
bergs burgs
Bern burn
berries buries
berry Bury bury
berth birth
better bettor
betters bettors
bight bite
bights bites
billed build
blew blue
boar bore
board bored
boarder border
boars bores
Boche bosh
bode bowed
Boers boas
bold bowled
bolder boulder
bole boll bowl
boles bolls bowls
bomb-sight bomb-site
bomb-sights bomb-sites
boos booze
borders boarders
born borne bourne
bough bow
boughs bows
boy buoy
boys buoys
brae bray
braes braise brays
braid brayed
brake break
brakes breaks
braking breaking
breach breech
bread bred
Brest breast
brewed brood
brews bruise
bridal bridle
bridals bridles
Brighton brighten
Britain Briton
broach brooch
broaches brooches
brows browse
bruit brute
bruits brutes
budges budgies
bur burr
burrs burs
bused bussed bust
but butt
buy by bye
buys byes
c sea see
c's seas sees seize
cache cash
cached cashed
caches cashes
caching cashing
calk caulk Cork cork
calked caulked corked
calking caulking corking
calks caulks corks
call caul
callous callus
calls cauls
Calne khan
calve carve
calved carved
calves carves
calving carving
candid candied
Cannes can
cannon canon
cannons canons
canvas canvass
canvases canvasses
Capt capped
carat carrot karat
carats carrots karats
Carole carol
Carrie carry
cast caste
caster castor
casters castors
castes casts
caught court
cause caws cores
Cavan cavern
cawed chord cord cored
cede seed
ceded seeded
cedes seeds
ceding seeding
ceiling sealing
cell sell
cellar seller
cellars sellers
cells sells
censer censor
censers censors
cent scent sent
cents scents
cereal serial
cereals serials
cession session
cessions sessions
chard charred
chased chaste
chauffeuse chauffeuses
chaws chores
cheap cheep
chews choose
Chile chilli chilly
choc chock
chocks chocs
choir quire
choirs quires
choler collar
cholers collars
chorale corral
chorales corrals
chords cords
chute shoot
chutes shoots
cite sight site
cited sighted sited
cites sights sites
citing sighting siting
citrous citrus
clanger clangour
Claude clawed
clause claws
climb clime
climbs climes
coal kohl
coaled cold
coaming combing
coarse corse course
corses courses
coarser courser
coat cote
coats cotes
coax cokes
cocks cox
coddling codling
coign coin quoin
coigns coins quoins
coir coyer
Colne cone
colonel kernel
colonels kernels
complement compliment
complementary complimentary
complements compliments
conker conquer
conkers conquers
coo coup
cookie cooky
coos coups
copies kopjes
cops copse
Copt copped
copy kopje
core corps
council counsel
councillor counsellor
councillors counsellors
councils counsels
cousin cozen
cousins cozens
coward cowered
Cowes cows
creak creek
creaks creeks
Crewe crew
crewed crude
crews cruise cruse
cruises cruses
cubical cubicle
Cupar cooper
curb kerb
curbs kerbs
currant current
currants currents
Currie curry
cygnet signet
cygnets signets
cymbal symbol
cymbals symbols
Cyprus cypress
Czech check cheque
Czechs checks cheques
daisies dazes
Daisy daisy
dam damn
dammed damned
damns dams
Dane deign
Danes deigns
daws doors
days daze
deanery denary
dear deer
Derek derrick
descent dissent
descents dissents
desert dessert
deserts desserts
Devizes devises
dew due
Di die dye
diarist direst
died dyed
dies dyes
dire dyer
discreet discrete
doe doh dough
does dohs doze
doggie doggy
dollar dolour
dollars dolours
Dolly dolly
done dun
dost dust
Doug dug
douse dowse
doused dowsed
douses dowses
dousing dowsing
draft draught
drafted draughted
drafting draughting
drafts draughts
drawers draws
droop drupe
droops drupes
dual duel
ducked duct
e's ease
earn urn
earns urns
eaves eves
Eddie eddy
eerie eery eyrie
effed eft
elicit illicit
elusive illusive
ensure insure
ensured insured
ensures insures
ensuring insuring
Ernest earnest
ewe U yew you
ewes U's use yews
eyelet islet
eyelets islets
f^eted fated
f^eting fating
fain feign
faint feint
fainted feinted
fainting feinting
faints feints
fair fare
fairs fares
fallacies phalluses
farther father
faun fawn
fauns fawns
feat feet
few phew
find fined
Finn fin
Finns fins
fir fur
firs furs furze
fisher fissure
fishers fissures
flair flare
flairs flares
flawed floored
flaws floors
flea flee
fleas flees
flecks flex
flew flu flue
flocks phlox
floe flow
floes flows
flour flower
floured flowered
flourier flowerier
flouriest floweriest
flouring flowering
flours flowers
floury flowery
foaled fold
for fore four
formally formerly
foul fowl
fouled fowled
fouler fowler
fouling fowling
fouls fowls
Frances Francis
Frank franc frank
Franks francs franks
frays phrase
frees freeze frieze
freezes friezes
friar frier
friars friers
fungous fungus
g gee
Gael gale
Gaels gales
gaff gaffe
gaffes gaffs
gage gauge
gaged gauged
gages gauges
gaging gauging
gait gate
gaits gates
Gallup gallop
gamble gambol
gambled gambolled
gambles gambols
gambling gambolling
gaud gored
Gaul gall
Gauls galls
gauze gores
gays gaze
geezer geyser
geezers geysers
Gene Jean
gibe gybe jibe
gibed gybed jibed
gibes gybes jibes
gibing gybing jibing
gild guild
gilder guilder
gilders guilders
gilds guilds
gilt guilt
Goole ghoul
gorilla guerrilla
gorillas guerrillas
Gorky gawky
grade grayed greyed
grate great
grater greater
grays graze greys
greaves grieves
groan grown
groin groyne
groins groynes
guessed guest
guide guyed
Guy guy
Guy's guise guys
hail hale
hairs hares
hall haul
halls hauls
handsome hansom
hangar hanger
hangars hangers
hart heart
hawed hoard horde
haws whores
hay hey
he'd heed
he'll heal heel
healed heeled
healing heeling
heals heels
hear here
heard herd
hears here's
heroin heroine
Herr hair hare
Herren heron
hertz hurts
hewed hued
hews hues
hi hie high
hide hied
higher hire
him hymn
ho hoe
hoar whore
hoards hordes
hoarse horse
hoes hose
hold holed
hole whole
holes wholes
holloa hollow
holloas hollows
Hoo who
hookahs hookers
hoop whoop
hooped whooped
hooping whooping
hoops whoops
hour our
hours ours
house how's
Hugh hew hue
humerus humorous
idle idol
idles idols
in inn
Inc ink
indiscreet indiscrete
inns ins
invade inveighed
ion iron
ions irons
j jay
j's jays
jam jamb
jambs jams
Jeanie genie
Jill gill
Jim gym
K Kay
kail kale
key quay
keys quays
knap nap
knapped napped
knapping napping
knaps naps
knave nave
knaves naves
knead need
kneaded needed
kneading needing
kneads needs
knew new
knight night
knightly nightly
knights nights
knob nob
knobble nobble
knobbles nobbles
knobs nobs
knot not
know no
knows nos nose
laager lager
laagers lagers
lacks lax
lade laid
lain lane
lakh lark
lakhs larks
lam lamb
lama llama
lamas llamas
lambed lammed
lambing lamming
lambs lams
laps lapse
larva lava
lasses lassies
laud lord
lauded lorded
lauding lording
lauds lords
lawn lorn
lay ley
lays laze
laze leys
leach leech
leaches leeches
lead led
leader lieder
leaf lief
leak leek
leaks leeks
leas lees
leased least
Leeds leads
Leigh lea lee
Lent leant
lessen lesson
lessens lessons
levee levy
levees levies
Leven leaven
Lewes Lewis
liar lyre
liars lyres
lichen liken
lie lye
lies lyes
lieu loo
lightening lightning
limb limn Lymne
limbed limned
limbs limns
lineally linearly
links lynx
lions Lyons
literal littoral
literals littorals
lo low
loan lone
loch lock lough
lochs locks loughs
lode lowed
loos lose
loot lute
loots lutes
lor lore
loyalist loyallest
lumbar lumber
Mach Mark mark marque
macs max
made maid
mail male
mails males
Maine main mane
mains manes
maize Mays maze
manikin mannequin
manikins mannequins
manner manor
manners manors
mantel mantle
mantels mantles
mare mayor
mares mayors
marks marques
marshal martial
marten martin
martens martins
mask masque
masks masques
masseurs masseuse masseuses
mat matt
me mi
mead meed
meads meeds
mean mien
means miens
meat meet mete
meatier meteor
meats meets metes
medal meddle
medals meddles
meddler medlar
meddlers medlars
meeting meting
metal mettle
meter metre
meters metres
mews muse
might mite
mind mined
miner minor
miners minors
minks minx
minors mynahs
missed mist
misses missies Mrs missus
mo mow
moan mown
moat mote
moats motes
mode mowed
mood mooed
moor Moore
moose mousse
mooses mousses
morn mourn
morning mourning
morns mourns
mucous mucus
muscle mussel
muscles mussels
mussed must
mustard mustered
n_ee nay
Nat gnat
naval navel
nay neigh
'neath Neath
Neil kneel
Nell knell
net nett
nets netts
Nice niece
nicks nix
none nun
o oh owe
o'er oar or ore
o's owes
oarsman oarsmen
ode owed
one won
overate overrate
oversea oversee
overseas oversees
oxeyed oxide
Oxon oxen
p pea pee
p's peas pease pees
pa pah
paced paste
packed pact
packs pax
paean peon
paeans peons
pail pale
pails pales
pain pane
pains panes
pair pare pear
paired pared
pairing paring
pairs pares pears
palette pallet
palettes pallets
palls pawls
pandas panders
par parr
parrs pars parse
passed past
patten pattern
pattens patterns
Paul pall pawl
pause paws pores pours
pawed pored
pawn porn
peace piece
peak peek peke
peaked peeked
peaking peeking
peaks peeks pekes
peal peel
pealed peeled
pealing peeling
peals peels
Pearl pearl purl
pearled purled
pearling purling
pearls purls
pedal peddle
pedalled peddled
pedals peddles
peddler pedlar
peddlers pedlars
peer pier
peers piers
per purr
pervade purveyed
Pete peat
petrel petrol
phew whew
Philip fillip
pi pie
pies pis
pistil pistol
pistils pistols
pitied pitted
place plaice
plain plane
plained planed
plaining planing
plains planes
pleas please
plum plumb
plumbs plums
Pole pole poll
Poles poles polls
Polly poly
poof pouf pouffe
poofs pouffes poufs
Poole pool
populace populous
pore pour
pored poured
poring pouring
poses posies
poseurs poseuse
practice practise
practices practises
praise prays preys
pray prey
prayed preyed
praying preying
premise premiss
premised premissed
premises premisses
premising premissing
pride pried
pries prise prize
primacies primuses
principal principle
principals principles
prised prized
prises prizes
prising prizing
profit prophet
profits prophets
program programme
programmes programs
pros prose
pseud sued
purest purist
put putt
puts putts
putted puttied
puttee putty
puttees putties
Q cue queue
Q's cues queues
quarts quartz
quietest quietist
R are
rack wrack
racket racquet
rackets racquets
radical radicle
radicals radicles
raid rayed
rain reign rein
rained reigned reined
raining reigning
rains reigns reins
raise rase rays raze
raised rased razed
raiser razor
raisers razors
raises rases
raising rasing
rancour ranker
rap wrap
rapped rapt wrapped
rapping wrapping
raps wraps
Ray ray re
read reed
read red
reads reeds
rear rhea
rears rheas
reigning reining
Rennes wren
rep repp
rest wrest
rested wrested
resting wresting
rests wrests
retches wretches
revere revers
reveres revers
review revue
reviews revues
Rex wrecks
Rheims reams
rheum room
Rhodes roads
rigger rigour
riggers rigours
right rite wright write
righting writing
rights rites wrights writes
ring wring
ringer wringer
ringers wringers
ringing wringing
rings wrings
road rode rowed
roc rock
rocks rocs
roe row
role roll
roles rolls
Rome roam
rood rude rued
roomer rumour
roomers rumours
root route
rooted routed
rooting routing
roots routes
Rose roes rose rows
rotas rotors
rote wrote
rough ruff
roughed ruffed
roughing ruffing
roughs ruffs
rouse rows
rues ruse
rung wrung
Ryde ride
rye wry
sac sack
sacks sacs sax
sail sale
sails sales
sane seine
sauce source
sauces sources
saver savour
savers savours
scene seen
schemas schemers
scull skull
sculled skulled
sculls skulls
seam seem
seamed seemed
seaman seamen semen
seaming seeming
seams seems
sear seer sere
sears seers
secs sex
serf surf
set sett
sets setts
sewer sower
sewers sowers
shake sheik
shakes sheikhs
shear sheer
sheared sheered
shearing sheering
shears sheers
shire shyer
shoe shoo
shoeing shooing
shoes shoos
'shun shun
sic sick
sicks six
side sighed
sighs size
sign sine
signs sines
Sikhs seeks
silvan silvern sylvan
Sioux Sue
slay sleigh
slaying sleighing
slays sleighs
sleight slight
sleights slights
sloe slow
sloes slows
so soh sew sow
soar sore
soared sword
soars sores
sold soled
sole soul
soles souls
some sum
son sun
sonny sunny
sons suns
sort sought
spade spayed
spars spas
spec speck
specks specs
staid stayed
stair stare
stairs stares
stake steak
stakes steaks
stalk stork
stalks storks
stationary stationery
steal steel
stealing steeling
steals steels
step steppe
steppes steps
sties styes
stile style
stiles styles
Stirling sterling
stoop stoup
stoops stoups
storey story
storeyed storied
storeys stories
straight strait
straights straits
studded studied
sty stye
Styx sticks
succour sucker
succours suckers
suite sweet
suites sweets
sumac sumach
summary summery
Sunday sundae
swat swot
swats swots
swatted swotted
swatting swotting
Syston cistern
t tea tee ti
t's teas tease tees
tacked tact
tacks tax
tail tale
tails tales
talk torque
talks torques
taper tapir
tapers tapirs
tare tear
tares tears
taught taut
taxes taxis
team teem
teamed teemed
teaming teeming
teams teems
tear tier
tears tiers
tec tech
techs tecs
tel tell
template templet
templates templets
tenner tenor
tenners tenors
tern turn
terns turns
their there they're
theirs there's
Thorne thorn
threw thro' through thru
throe throw
throes throws
throne thrown
thyme time
tic tick
ticks tics
tide tied
tided tidied
tighten titan
tightens titans
tike tyke
tikes tykes
tire tyre
tires tyres
to too two
toad toed towed
toe tow
toeing towing
toes tows
told tolled
tonne ton tun
tonnes tons tuns
tor tore
tracked tract
trews trues
troop troupe
trooper trouper
troopers troupers
troops troupes
trussed trust
tubas tubers
tunas tuners
'twill twill
Tyne tine
'un an
vain vane vein
vale veil
vales veils
vanes veins
Venus venous
veracious voracious
veraciously voraciously
vial viol
vials viols
wade weighed
wail wale whale
wailed whaled
wailing whaling
wains wanes
waist waste
waists wastes
wait weight
waited weighted
waiting weighting
waits weights
waive wave
waived waved
waiver waver
waivers wavers
waives waves
waiving waving
wales whales
Wales wails wales
war wore
ward warred
Ware ware wear where
wares wears where's
waring wearing
warn worn
watcher wotcher
watt what wot
wattle what'll
watts what's
wax whacks
way weigh whey
Wayne wain wane
ways weighs
we wee
we'd weed
we'll weal wheel
we've weave
weak week
weakly weekly
weald wheeled wield
wealds wields wheels
Wear we're weir
weather wether
weathers wethers
wees wheeze
weld welled
wen when
wens when's
were whir whirr
wet whet
wether whether
wets whets
wetted whetted
wetting whetting
which witch
Whig wig
Whigs wigs
while wile
whiled wild
whiles wiles
whin win
whine wine
whined wind wined
whines wines
whining wining
whirl whorl
whirled whorled world
whirls whorls
whirred word
whirrs whirs
whit wit
whites wights
whither wither
who's whose
whoa wo woe
why y
Wight white wight
windlass windless
won't wont
wood would
Y's whys wise
yaws yours
yoke yolk
yokes yolks
yore your you're
you'll yule
FRENCH PHRASES
agent provocateur agents provocateurs
aide-de-camp aides-de-camp
billet-doux billets-doux
cor anglais cors anglais
corps de ballet corps de ballets
coup de grace coups de grace
coup d'etat coups d'etat
enfant terrible enfants terribles
fait accompli faits accomplis
fianc_e fianc_ee
fianc_ees fianc_es
fleur-de-lys fleurs-de-lys
Grand Prix Grands Prix
nom de plume noms de plume
nouveau riche nouveaux riches
tour de force tours de force
-MAN/-MEN COMPOUNDS
aircraftman aircraftmen
airman airmen
alderman aldermen
anchorman anchormen
backwoodsman backwoodsmen
bandsman bandsmen
batman batmen
batsman batsmen
boatman boatmen
brakeman brakemen
Bushman Bushmen
busman busmen
chairman chairmen
chapman chapmen
clansman clansmen
clergyman clergymen
congressman congressmen
countryman countrymen
cracksman cracksmen
craftsman craftsmen
cragsman cragsmen
dalesman dalesmen
draftsman draftsmen draughtsman
dustman dustmen
Dutchman Dutchmen
Englishman Englishmen
ex-serviceman ex-servicemen
exciseman excisemen
fieldsman fieldsmen
fireman firemen
fisherman fishermen
footman footmen
foreman foremen
freedman freedmen
freeman freemen
Frenchman Frenchmen
freshman freshmen
frogman frogmen
frontiersman frontiersmen
gentleman gentlemen
gentleman-at-arms gentlemen-at-arms
groundsman groundsmen
guardsman guardsmen
gunman gunmen
hangman hangmen
helmsman helmsmen
henchman henchmen
herdsman herdsmen
highwayman highwaymen
horseman horsemen
houseman housemen
huntsman huntsmen
husbandman husbandmen
Indiaman Indiamen
infantryman infantrymen
Irishman Irishmen
journeyman journeymen
juryman jurymen
kinsman kinsmen
landsman landsmen
layman laymen
lineman linemen
linesman linesmen
longshoreman longshoremen
madman madmen
marksman marksmen
merchantman merchantmen
merman mermen
midshipman midshipmen
militiaman militiamen
milkman milkmen
motorman motormen
night-watchman night-watchmen
nobleman noblemen
Northman Northmen
nurseryman nurserymen
patrolman patrolmen
placeman placemen
plainsman plainsmen
ploughman ploughmen
pointsman pointsmen
policeman policemen
postman postmen
quarryman quarrymen
raftsman raftsmen
rifleman riflemen
roundsman roundsmen
salesman salesmen
Scotchman Scotchmen
Scotsman Scotsmen
seaman seamen
seedsman seedsmen
showman showmen
sidesman sidesmen
signalman signalmen
spokesman spokesmen
sportsman sportsmen
statesman statesmen
steersman steersmen
switchman switchmen
swordsman swordsmen
townsman townsmen
tradesman tradesmen
trencherman trenchermen
tribesman tribesmen
vestryman vestrymen
watchman watchmen
waterman watermen
Welshman Welshmen
yachtsman yachtsmen
yeoman yeomen
First Publihsed by John Higgins, University of Stirling (retd.), 11 November, 1996. Last modified 16 December21.
