✨ Lesson 6: Spelling: Common Problem Words & Homophones
Some of the most common mistakes in English writing are with homophones1. These are words that sound the same, but have different spellings and very different meanings.
Today, we will master two of the most common groups of homophones. Learning these will make your writing much more accurate and professional.
Group 1: their / there / they're
These three are very easy to confuse. This table shows the difference.
| Word | Meaning / Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| their | Possessive - shows ownership (belongs to them) | The tourists have their tickets. |
| there | A place OR used with 'is'/'are' | The temple is over there. There are many people here. |
| they're | Contraction of "they are" | They're going to see the sunrise. |
Group 2: to / too / two
This is another very common group of homophones.
| Word | Meaning / Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| to | Preposition of direction or part of an infinitive verb | We are going to the market. I want to learn. |
| too | Also; in addition OR excessively | I'd like to go, too. This soup is too hot! |
| two | The number 2 | I bought two beautiful scarves. |
Memory Tricks
- their: It has the word "heir" inside, and an heir inherits things (possession).
- there: It has the word "here" inside, which is about a place.
- they're: Look for the apostrophe! It's a signal for two words: "they are".
- too: It has an "extra o", which can help you remember it means "also" or "extra" hot/cold/etc.
🧠 Practice Quiz: Choose the Correct Word
Choose the correct word to complete the sentences.
- The students are doing (their / there / they're) homework.
- Look! (Their / There / They're) going to visit the temple over (their / there / they're).
- I want (to / too / two) buy (to / too / two) tickets, please.
- This coffee is (to / too / two) sweet for me.
📝 Homework: Write Your Own Sentences
Show that you know the difference! Write one correct sentence for each of the six problem words from this lesson.
their: ___________________________________
there: ___________________________________
they're: __________________________________
to: _____________________________________
too: _____________________________________
two: _____________________________________
Vocabulary Glossary
- Homophone: (Noun) - សទិសសព្ទ (sa'tĭ'sa'sap) - A word that is pronounced the same as another word but has a different meaning or spelling. ↩