---
title: "Homophones (age 9+)"
description: "Distinguish and correctly spell homophones and commonly confused words at Y5-6 level (e.g., affect/effect, practice/practise, advice/advise, complement/compliment, aisle/isle, led/lead), including con"
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/homophones-age-9-mt_u3OuIXqmAo
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/homophones-age-9-mt_u3OuIXqmAo.md
retrieved: 2026-10-19
---

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# Homophones (age 9+)

Distinguish and correctly spell homophones and commonly confused words at Y5-6 level (e.g., affect/effect, practice/practise, advice/advise, complement/compliment, aisle/isle, led/lead), including confused words such as to/too/two and there/their/they're

Subject: English · Area: Spelling & Word Study · Ages 9 to 10
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/homophones-age-9-mt_u3OuIXqmAo

## Ready when they can

- Select the correct spelling from a pair of homophones by analysing meaning in context, e.g. 'The doctor's advice (noun) was to practise (verb) daily'
- Spell commonly confused words accurately by applying word-class clues: advise/advice, practise/practice, licence/license (verb ends in -ise, noun ends in -ice)
- Identify and correct homophone errors in extended writing, including to/too/two, there/their/they're, whose/who's, and its/it's

## Lesson: Homophones that trip you up

You already know that homophones sound the same but mean different things. As your writing gets longer, it's easy to grab the wrong spelling without noticing. This lesson gives you tricks for the pairs that trip up even good writers.

**Example.** The doctor's advice was to practise every day. Advice is a noun, a thing you receive. Practise is a verb, something you do.

Here's the clue: the verb usually ends in -se, and the noun usually ends in -ce. Advise (verb) becomes advice (noun). Practise (verb) becomes practice (noun). License (verb) becomes licence (noun).

*(drawing: Look at the endings. The verbs advise and practise carry an s. The nouns advice and practice carry a c.)*

Some pairs are just about meaning, not word class. Effect is usually the noun for a result; affect is usually the verb for changing something. A compliment is a kind thing you say; a complement is something that completes another thing. An aisle is a walkway in a shop; an isle is a small island.

When you check your writing, slow down at these small words: to/too/two, there/their/they're, whose/who's, its/it's. Think about the meaning of the sentence, not just the sound, before you pick one.

**Recap.** Same sound, different spelling: check the meaning and the word class before you write it down.

## Practice

24 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [Homophones](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/homophones-mt_37QCuGOxFe)

## Opens up

- [Applying Spelling Rules to Complex Words](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/applying-spelling-rules-to-complex-words-mt_4PA9IrxtCQ)