Homophonopbobia or Fear of Similar Sounding Words

I noticed I hadn’t posted in a few weeks, and this is something I’ve been mulling around in my mind for a bit.  If you’ve been keeping up with me at all, you’ll already have noticed my Comma, Comma, Comma Chameleon post a little while back.  I figured I’d take things a step further and talk (write) about another of my pet-peeves in the writing world: similar words that I often notice are misused.

Granted, some people are dictating into some sort of device that can’t tell the difference because, of course, the words sound alike.  That’s fine.  These tools can be useful.  Still, someone needs to do a double-check to make sure the wording is right because using the wrong word can have a totally different effect than what you intended.

Don’t fear these words!  Words are your friends.  Just make sure you use the right ones in the right situations! 😉

• There/Their/They’re: This is one of the biggest examples of word misuse.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen one of these where another should be. (Admittedly, I’ve done it a few times without thinking, but I usually catch myself.)
  • There: A place, e.g. “Let’s go over there.”
  • Their: The possessive of a group of people, e.g. “Their place is just over the bend.”
  • They’re: Contraction of “they are,” e.g. “They’re going to meet us at the ballpark.”

• Your/You’re: Another typical contraction mix-up.
  • Your: The second person possessive, e.g. “Are you going to get your ball?”
  • You’re: Contraction of “you are,” e.g. “You’re going to the park now?”

• Its/It’s: This also drives me nuts.
  • Its: The neutral possessive, e.g. “Its skin writhed along its length.”
  • It’s: Contraction of “it is,” e.g. “It’s starting to rain.”

• Here/Hear: They may sound the same, but they don’t mean the same!
  • Here: A place, e.g. “I’m fine right here.”
  • Hear: The process of listening, e.g. “Yes, I can hear you!”

• To/Too: With only one letter difference, this can be easy to misuse, but what a difference a letter makes!
  • To: Usually a preposition but can also be an adverb, e.g. “I am going to the market.”
  • Too: Also, e.g. “I want to come too!”

• Taut/Taught: Sigh.
  • Taut: Tight, e.g. “Pull that line taut for me, would you?”
  • Taught: The past tense of “to teach,” e.g. “My teacher thought she taught me algebra, but I had the last laugh.”

• Vice/Vise: While not exactly a common one, I still see them misused from time to time.
  • Vice: Immoral behavior, e.g. “I shouldn’t snort cocaine, but it’s my vice.”
  • Vise: A press, or to squeeze as if with a press, e.g. “My head feels like it’s in a vise.”

• Peek/Peak: Not super common to see misused, but it happens!
  • Peek: Sneak a quick glance, e.g. “I took a peek at my Christmas present.”
  • Peak: The top of something, e.g. “Do you know how many people have reached the peak of Mount Everest?”

• Rein/Reign: Again, not exactly common, but I’ve seen the wrong one used more often than I would prefer.
  • Rein: A strap used to control an animal, e.g. “I had to pull back on the horse’s rein to try to stop it.”
  • Reign: To rule, e.g. “Some people say King Henry’s reign was long and bloody.”

• Thrown/Throne: You’d think this might be a more common error to make. Thank goodness I don’t see it that often.
  • Thrown: The act of tossing, e.g. “Yeah, I got thrown from the horse thanks to my own stupidity.”
  • Throne: A ruler’s seat of power, e.g. “The king’s throne was made of gold and jewels.”

• Site/Sight: Don’t. Just don’t. Please.
  • Site: A place, e.g. “Our new office will be built on this site.”
  • Sight: Vision, e.g. “The most beautiful sight of the trip had to be the sun setting over the hills.”

• Rouge/Rogue: Okay, so these two words don’t sound alike, but I have seen them misused so many times, I felt they deserved to be on the list.
  • Rouge: A red colored powder, usually placed on the cheeks, e.g. “A little rouge will bring color to your face.”
  • Rogue: Someone or something that does not follow the rules, e.g. “That thief is such a rogue.”

• Desert/Dessert: Again, they don’t sound alike, but I’ve seen them misused more than they should be.
  • Desert: A dry place, mostly devoid of plant life, e.g. “The Sahara is a vast desert.”
  • Dessert: A sweet treat usually coming after a meal, e.g. “Are we going to have ice cream for dessert?”

So, there you have it.  You should now have the skills to use the right words in the right situations.  Don’t develop homophonophobia!