SpellingIQ

Spelling list · curated by SpellingIQ.com · read on 2026-10-07

Sound-alikes: words that share a sound

A spell checker will not save you here: their, steel and complement are all real words, just not always the right one. Each list keeps the two halves of a pair together, so you hear one sentence and have to choose the spelling that fits it.

The pairs run from the everyday ones, there and their, to the ones that trip up careful writers, like stationary and stationery.

Practise →
  1. 1. Sound-alikes 10/10 owned
  2. 2. Sound-alikes 20/10 owned
  3. 3. Sound-alikes 30/10 owned
  4. 4. Sound-alikes 40/10 owned

Sound-alikes 1

  1. there: The book is over there on the shelf.
  2. their: The students left their books on the desk.
  3. where: where did you put the keys?
  4. wear: She likes to wear bright colors.
  5. write: Can you write your name on this paper?
  6. right: It's important to do the right thing.
  7. here: Come here and sit down.
  8. hear: Did you hear the thunder?
  9. whole: She ate the whole pizza by herself.
  10. hole: There was a small hole in his sock.

Sound-alikes 2

  1. desert: The Sahara is the world's largest hot desert.
  2. dessert: For dessert, we had apple pie with ice cream.
  3. steal: It is wrong to steal from others.
  4. steel: Many bridges are built with steel.
  5. course: The ship stayed on course despite the storm.
  6. coarse: The sandpaper had a very coarse texture.
  7. waste: We should reduce our food waste.
  8. waist: She wore a belt around her waist.
  9. break: Be careful not to break the glass.
  10. brake: He pressed the brake pedal to slow down the car.

Sound-alikes 3

  1. affect: The drought will seriously affect crop yields this season.
  2. effect: The new policy had a significant effect on the local economy.
  3. advise: I would advise you to consult a doctor if you feel unwell.
  4. advice: My grandmother always gives excellent advice.
  5. lose: Don't lose your keys.
  6. loose: The button on my shirt is loose.
  7. weather: What kind of weather are we having today?
  8. whether: I don't know whether I should go or stay.
  9. peace: After the storm, a sense of peace settled over the village.
  10. piece: Can I have a piece of cake?

Sound-alikes 4

  1. stationary: The car remained stationary at the red light.
  2. stationery: She bought new stationery to write her thank you notes.
  3. complement: The rich, dark chocolate was the perfect complement to the fruity dessert.
  4. compliment: She received a lovely compliment on her new hairstyle.
  5. fair: The judge was known to be very fair.
  6. fare: The bus fare has increased recently.
  7. reign: Queen Victoria had a long reign over the British Empire.
  8. rein: The rider pulled on the rein to slow the horse's gallop.
  9. foul: The old milk had a foul smell.
  10. fowl: The farmer kept a variety of fowl in his coop.