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Using the Right Word

Do you get confused by to, too, and two? They sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. Words like these are homophones, and this section will help you choose the right ones.

ant, aunt	An ant is a hard-working insect. My aunt is a hard-working woman.
ate, eight	I ate two slices of apple. The apple had eight slices—enough for me and three friends!
bare, bear	I like to run around in bare feet. Bears like to run around on bear feet.

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© Thoughtful Learning 2025

blew, blue	I blew up a big balloon. The balloon was blue like the sky.
brake, break	I stepped on the brake to stop my new bike. I didn’t want the pothole to break my rims.
buy, by	My friend will buy her lunch today. Then she will sit by me in the cafeteria.
cent, scent, sent	I bought birthday candles for 20 cents each. They have a scent like bubble gum. My cousin sent a present in the mail.
close, clothes	My brother can’t close his laundry hamper. He stuffed too many clothes in it.
creak, creek	Grandpa’s joints creak when he walks. He still walks to the creek to go fishing.
dear, deer	I walked in the woods with my dear friend Sue. We saw a deer cross the path ahead of us.
dew, do, due	Dew sparkles on the grass this morning. I will do some yard work when the grass dries. The grass is slippery due to the moisture.
eye, I	My eye doctor checked my sight. She said I have 20/20 vision.
for, four	We host my whole family for Thanksgiving. The holiday starts a four-day weekend!

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hare, hair	A large hare watched me beside his warren. I called him Bigwig because the fur between his ears looked like bushy hair.
heal, heel	I want my bruised foot to heal before soccer. The bruise turned my heel purple!
hear, here	I hear a knock at the front door. I wonder who is here.
heard, herd	I heard mooing in the upper pasture. The herd of cows was returning to be milked.
hole, whole	I dug a hole for my new tomato plant. It was so deep the whole plant disappeared!
hour, our	We took an hour to gather seashells. Our class found 52 cool shells.
its, it’s	My bubble gum lost its flavor. (Its shows ownership.) It’s supposed to taste like . . . bubblegum. (It’s = It is)
knew, new	I knew that T. Rex was a great hunter. The new exhibit said he also was a scavenger.
knight, night	The knight rode out to slay the dragon. The dragon’s lair was as black as night.
know, no	I know a secret way to tie my shoes. They no longer come loose.

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made, maid	Cinderella made her escape at midnight. Prince Charming took weeks to find the maid.
main, mane	The lion had one main problem. His mane was bigger than his body!
meat, meet	Tigers eat meat. I hope I never meet a tiger.
one, won	I bought one ticket in the drawing. When my ticket was drawn, I won $50!
pair, pare, pear	A pair of students can prepare the fruit. Shondra can pare and slice an apple. Todd can do the same with a pear.
peace, piece	We sat in peace on the front porch. I felt full after having a piece of pie.
plain, plane	Grandma loves her plain white farmhouse. It stands on the plain among oceans of corn. A crop-dusting plane flies over a distant field.
read, red	Grandpa read us a book full of fairy tales. He acted out scenes from “Little Red Riding Hood.”
right, write	I like “Using the Right Word” in my handbook. It helps me write using homophones.
road, rode, rowed	At the end of the road, we hopped on a ferry. We rode all the way to Bainbridge Island. Then we rowed a boat out to fish.

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scene, seen	The final scene of Romeo and Juliet was sad. I’d never seen a tragedy before.
sea, see	A group of sea lions sunned on the dock. I could see orcas breeching in the distance.
sew, so, sow	I had to sew a seam in my gardening hat. I wear it so I won’t get sunburned. This afternoon, I will sow seeds in my garden.
soar, sore	Eagles can soar for hours in the sky. When I try, my arms get sore.
some, sum	I went with some friends to Great America. I’ll sum up our day in two words: roller coasters!
son, sun	Father and son spent a day at the beach. They got plenty of sun—and sand everywhere!
tail, tale	Peter Rabbit has a fluffy tail. You can read about him in The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
their, there, they’re	At the bell, students grabbed their backpacks. (Their shows ownership.) There was a whole weekend of fun awaiting. They’re planning to enjoy every moment. (they’re = they are)
threw, through	At the buzzer, I threw a half-court shot. It went right through the basket, touching nothing but net!

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to, two, too	We went to the frozen custard stand. I got two scoops of custard in a waffle cone. Carly got custard in a waffle cone, too. (Too means “also.”) It turns out, that’s a little too much custard. (Too means “very” or “extremely.”)
waist, waste	If I eat too much, the food goes to my waist. If I eat too little, my dinner goes to waste.
wait, weight	We had to wait in line to check our bags. The attendant checked the weight of each one.
way, weigh	Have you seen the way my cat begs for cheese? I should weigh him before giving him anymore.
weak, week	After swimming 20 laps, I felt weak. Next week I’ll start swimming 30.
wear, where	I will wear my T. Rex costume to trick or treat. Where should we go for the most candy?
which, witch	Which book should I read? I like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
wood, would	Pinocchio was a boy made of wood. Would he ever become a real boy?
your, you’re	Your short story is spooky and suspenseful. (Your shows ownership.) You’re a great writer! (You’re = You are)