Homophones tutor notes

The homophones topic area aims to help learners revise and remember words that sound the same, but mean different things.

Another area on the site which ties in with this module is the following:
Confusing words - This module deals with other words that can be confusing or difficult to spell e.g. accept, except or effect, affect.

How does this tie in with the curriculums?

• England
  Ww/L1.1 - Teach adults to correctly spell words used most often in word studies and daily life.
  Understand that the spelling of homophones is related to meaning.
  
• Wales
  As England.
• Northern Ireland
  As England.
• Scotland
  See www.aloscotland.com for details of the Scottish curriculum.

In the Skillswise module you'll find:

Homophones game
This is a pairs game. The words appear on counters, then all turn over. The learner has to match the homophone pairs, by remembering which counter the matching word is written on. Each of the words in this game is voiced.

TOP TIP! To see the game completely full screen, press the F11 key on the keyboard. This takes away the distraction of the top browser bar. To bring the browser bar back, just press F11 again!

Homophones quiz
The learner can choose their level. Level A is the easiest, level C the hardest.
We have now put in place a system that will allow the student to print out a certificate if they score 50% or more in the quiz. This will appear as a link on the results page - click on the link and the certificate will appear in a new window. Learners can write their name onto the certificate once it is printed.

Homophones factsheet
The facts about homophones, with examples, on one 'print-out-and-keep' sheet.

Homophones worksheets
There are two worksheets [each with an answersheet] to choose from in this section. On each one the student has to put the right homophone in the gap.

Technical help:

To get the most out of this topic area you need the following 'plug-ins':

• Flash
  The game in this topic section uses Flash. This is free to download and should only take a few minutes. You can follow the BBC WebWise instructions to download it to your machine.
  Find out more.

If you don't have Flash the same learning points are covered in the quiz and in the worksheets and factsheets.
If you are new to the web, why not try the BBC WebWise online course, Becoming WebWise? It's free, you can do it in your own time from any computer and it will take you through everything you need to know to use the web successfully in your teaching.
Get WebWise.

You can find out more about the technical requirements for Skillswise in our Help - Technical Information section.

Taking it further:

With Skillswise
Don't forget to visit Lesson plans and Teaching inspirations for more ideas for teaching homophones.

With the web
Here's a few suggestions of other places on the web that you might find useful resources that you can adapt for teaching homophones.

• ICTeachers
  This webpage provides a collection of common mistakes made when using homophones, a quick quiz, and outlines the difference between homophones and homonyms.
• Using English for Academic Purposes
  This webpage encourages you to increase your knowledge of homophones by playing a multiple choice game. Choose the correct word for each sentence.

Please note that the BBC is not responsible for the content of other websites.

Rather unusually, we've had a poem sent in. We thought you might like to use it in class, or that it might inspire you to send in your own. The poem is written by tutor Donni Bridson.

My brain won't work, it gets worms wrong,
But who can blame it anyway
When check and cheque are said the same,
But written with a different name?
And too, two, to and their, there, they're
And in and inn and pair and pear.
Whether the weather is right or write,
If I see or sea with my site or sight.
How can we expect our students to learn
When we sew or sow and turn and tern?
I would, or wood, change the words if I could
To make more sense, or is it cents?
The bells were tolled, or were they told?
The shoes were soled, or where they sold?
Chips and place, your plaice, or mine?
The English language is divine!
The words we ewes, the hair I died,
Or the hare dyed, I sighed or side?
Even teechers sumthymes get it wrong!
I hope ewe like my little song.