Homonyms are words that sound alike when spoken aloud but which are spelled differently in print and definitely have different meanings. The following homonyms demonstrate the point.
advise/advice
bloc/block
chord/cord
gamble/gambol
loose/lose
peace/piece
shear/sheer
your/you’re
The correct homonym is determined by the sense of the sentence. For instance, we know if we’re talking about peace between Israelis and Palestinians, we mean the opposite of war and not a fragment of some other item. If you think homonyms create problems for those of us whose native language is English, just think how difficult it is for someone who studies English as a second language.
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