Homophones: A Tutorial
I've noticed that a lot of fanfic writers have a hard time remembering the difference between certain words that sound the same or similar but are spelled differently and have different meanings. So here I will give you a short reference for a few of the most common ones. If there are any others you think should be added, message me or send me an ask and I will add it to the list.
Further/Farther
Further: Figurative distance. Let's go further with this relationship.
Farther: Literal distance. It's not much farther to Disneyland.
Your/You're
Your: Possessive. That is your toy.
You're: Contraction of you are. You're going to University, right?
There/Their/They're
There: A place. I am going over there.
Their: Possessive. That is their land.
They're: Contraction of they are. They're all in the same club.
Effect/Affect
Effect: Noun. Notice the effect baking soda has when you add it to vinegar.
Affect: Verb. I am deeply affected by your terrible grammar.
Loathe/Loath
Loathe: Verb. Synonym for hatred. I loathe bad grammar.
Loath: Adjective. Means reluctant/reluctance. He was studying hard, and she was loath to disturb him.
Breath/Breathe
Breath: Noun. I could feel his breath on my cheek.
Breathe: Verb. I was able to breathe normally again.
Who/Whom
Who: Pronoun. To replace he/she. Who is this?
Whom: Pronoun, objective case of who. To replace him/her. To whom is this letter addressed?
Despite/In spite of
Interchangeable. Surprise!
Then/Than
Then: Adverb. Refers to a time. That was then, this is now.
Than: Conjunction. Used to compare. Dark chocolate is better than white chocolate.
Breach/Breech
Breach: Noun. The whale breached the surface of the water.
Breech: Noun. Buttocks; part of a firearm behind the barrel; breech birth, a baby born feet-first; breeches: knee-length pants/trousers.
To/Too/Two
To: Preposition, Infinitive, Adverb. Expressing the motion in the direction of, identifying a person or thing affected by. Used with the base form of a verb to indicate that the verb is in the infinitive or used without the verb following when the missing verb is clearly understood. So as to be closed or nearly closed.
We went to the mall.
You weren’t very nice to her.
I don’t want to come to the mall.
He pulled the door to behind him.
Too: Adverb. To indicate excessiveness. As well. He was driving too fast. I liked the movie too.
Two: Numerical 2. I have two cats.
Loose/Lose
Loose: Adjective, verb. To not bind tightly, ill-fitting. To set free or release. The shirt was loose on her. He set the chickens loose.
Lose: Verb. To no longer have an item/person, to be unable to find something. Don’t lose your keys. If we don’t start CPR, we will lose him.
Where/Were
Where: Adverb or Conjunction. Location, at, in, or to which, the place or situation in which. Or that, whereas. Where does she live? Paris is where I lived in the seventies. This is where I live. Can you see where you lost your grip on reality? Where some writers burn out, others become more intense.
Were: Second person singular past. As you were. Where were you?
