To, Too, or Two?: Fun with English Homophones

Have you heard of  English homophones? Do you know the difference between wound and wound? What about to, too, and two? If you do, you’re probably a pretty proficient (experienced, skilled) English speaker. But even fluent speakers need a brush up once in a while!

English homophones are two or more words that sound the same but have different spellings and/or meanings. Check out this list of English homophones and see how many you get right!

To, Too, Two

There are three different spellings for the word to (or too, or two), all pronounced the same way.

To means expressing movement, such as when you’re “going to the park.” Too means in addition to something, like “Bob came along, too.” And finally, two is the number, as in “I have two siblings.”

For example:

• Would you like to go to the movies this weekend?
• Sure! Is it ok if Tim comes along, too?
• Well, I only have two tickets, but I’m sure we can buy another.

Wound, Wound

Have you ever wound a bandage around a wound?

The ‘ou’ sound in English can make six different sounds; such as in could (pronounced like book), south (like in house), fought (pronounced like cough), although (like go), enough (as sun), and wound (like moon). Kinda crazy, huh?

Give it a practice with words like wound (the past tense of wind, with ‘ou’ pronounced like house) and wound (a deep injury, rhymes with moon). Soon you’ll be top of the class!

For example:

• I wound the scarf around my neck because it was cold outside.
• He accidentally cut himself while he was cooking and had a deep wound in his hand.

Wind, Wind

Keeping on track with words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, what do you know about the difference between wind and wind?

To wind (the ‘i’ sounds like ‘eye’) means to twist in a spiral-like way, and when the ‘i’ is pronounced like that in the word ‘in’, it’s for the word that describes the movement of air. Have you ever seen the wind winding through the trees on a crisp autumn day?

For example:

• On windy days, you can easily see the wind moving through the trees.
• Can you please help me wind this string around the package?

Timber, Timbre

Have you ever found the timbre of someone’s voice really pleasing? Could they have been lumberjack that cuts down forests of timber? These English homophones may seem confusing until you figure out what they mean.

Timbre (pronounced “tam-ber”) is a combination of sounds that distinguishes from other sounds of the same pitch and volume. It’s part of how we can recognize different voices. Timber (pronounced “tim-ber” as it looks), on the other hand, are trees that have been cut down to be used as wood.

For example:

• I love listening to him talk. I think it’s because I really like the timbre of his voice.
• Sometimes if you drive through the woods, you’ll drive past stacks of timber waiting to be transported.

Bolder, Boulder

Are you getting bolder in speaking foreign languages? Or do you feel like you’re trying to climb over a massive boulder in your way?

If you’re getting bolder, it means that you’re more willing to take risks and are getting more confident. A boulder is a very large rock. So climb over you boulders, and get bolder in your language learning!

For example:

• She decided to take singing lessons to help herself improve. These lessons made her more confident, and she got bolder about singing in public.
• We were out hiking, but had to turn around because a large boulder was blocking the path.

Did you know any of these English homophones? Did you find this blog helpful? Share with us in the comments below!