Distinguish and correctly spell common homophones and near-homophones encountered at Y3-4 level (e.g., accept/except, affect/effect, brake/break, grate/great), including using the /eɪ/ sound spelt ei, eigh, or ey
Homophones are words that sound exactly the same when you say them out loud, but they are spelled differently and mean different things. To pick the right spelling, think about what the word means in that sentence, not how it sounds.
Break means to snap or smash something, like breaking a plate. Brake is the part of a bike or car that slows it down. 'Squeeze the brake so you don't break your bike!'
Grate means to shred food, like grating cheese. Great means wonderful, like a great day. 'She used a grater to grate the great cheese onto her pasta.'
If two spellings sound the same, ask yourself what the sentence is really about. Try swapping in a word you already know well, like 'excellent' instead of 'great', to check you picked the right one.
The long ay sound, like in 'day', can also be spelled ei, eigh, or ey. You hear it in vein, eight, grey, and neighbour. There is no easy rule for which spelling to use, so these words are worth learning by heart.
Three more pairs sound the same but mean different things. 'Its' shows something belongs, like 'the dog wagged its tail', while 'it's' means 'it is'. 'Affect' is usually the action word, to change something, and 'effect' is usually the result. 'Accept' means to agree to take something, and 'except' means not including. Slow down and think about the meaning before you pick one.
Homophones sound alike but are spelled differently, so let the meaning of the sentence guide your spelling.
You have learned that one sound can get a new spelling, like the o in son. Some words go further: they sound exactly like another word but mean something different. Sam is fixing up his old bike today.
What do we call words that sound the same but are spelled differently and mean different things?
24 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.