Similar Sound,

Different Meaning
Listen to your heart.
 Some words seem designed 
to mix you up
❑ Two words might sound the same, but be spelled differently.
❑ Two other words might be spelled the same, but mean
different things.
❑ Another two words may have the same spelling, but different
pronunciations.

Let's sort out all of this gibberish!

Meet the three "Homo" Words!

HOMO PHONES
A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same (to varying extent) as another
word but differs in meaning. A homophone may also differ in spelling.

HOMO NYMS
Homonyms are two words that are spelled the same and sound the same but have
different meanings

HOMO GRAPH
A homograph is a word that shares the same written form as another word but has a
S
different meaning
Now let’s look at the three “H” words one at a
time…

Same sound Same spelling Same meaning

Homophones
YES MAYBE MAYBE

Homonyms
YES YES NO

Homographs
MAYBE YES MAYBE
 Homonyms
Homographs
These words sound alike.

Example: the words “like"

I like you.
I am like you.

Example: the words "fire"

The flames of the fire glowed brightly.
The boss will fire the bad employee.
 Homographs
These words sound different.

Example: the word “live”

/lɪv/ (rhyming with “give”) is a verb meaning “to be alive” /əˈlaɪv/;

/laɪv/ (rhyming with “dive”) is an adjective meaning “being alive”.

 Other Examples of Homophones
• Don't waste the remaining paper.
Tie a belt around your waist.
• We need rain to end the drought.
The queen has had a long reign.
• It was a starry night.
The knight never used his sword.
• I ride the bus to school.
She does too!
It is two o'clock.
 Minimal Pairs
Listen carefully

1. ferry – 1. lake – 1. late – let

1. fond – found
very rake 2. gate – get
2. shot – shout
2. feel – veal2. lice – 3. wait – wet
rice 3. spot – spout
3. fan – van 4. laid – led
4. pot – pout
4. fast – vast3. late – 5. raid – red
rate 5. dot – doubt
5. rifle – 6. then - zen
rival 4. light –
right
5. low – row
 Tips and Trick
• Focus on the last speaker or the second line of the conversation ; it might
contain the answer.
• Avoid using some words from the first line of the conversation. They are
often misleading and directing to wrong answer.
TAP THE INFO ABOUT WHO,
WHAT, AND WHERE
 WHO, WHAT, WHERE

This type of question doesn’t mention the

answer clearly. Who : Asking a person.
However, you should make a conclusion
based on the clues in the conversation.
 WHO

• Who is used to ask a person who is the subject or

object of a conversation.

• e.g: Who is the one sitting next to Mrs. Mirna?

 WHAT

• What is used to ask a particular name, thing,

suggestion, and circumstance.

• e.g: What do you think about Raisa’s singing concert

last night?
 WHERE

• Where is used to ask place, destination, and prediction

of location discussed in the conversation.

• e.g:Where is the location of AR. Fachruddin mosque?

 STRATEGIES

When we have a listening part, there are two strategies

can be used to answer the question that we hear, they are:
1. Identify hints in the conversation
2. Identify the answer by looking at the type of
questions.