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Homophones #4

For each word, guess (and correctly spell) its homophone.
A homophone is a word that sounds the same but is spelled differently
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: September 7, 2018
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First submittedMarch 18, 2018
Times taken37,757
Average score75.0%
Rating4.17
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Word
Homophone
Base
Bass
Seed
Cede
Wet
Whet
Click
Clique
Aisle
Isle
Aloud
Allowed
Bread
Bred
Cash
Cache
Word
Homophone
Shoot
Chute
Flower
Flour
Herd
Heard
Jam
Jamb
Nose
Knows
Lean
Lien
Links
Lynx
Morning
Mourning
Word
Homophone
Taut
Taught
Throne
Thrown
Tide
Tied
Whale
Wail
Course
Coarse
Sensor
Censor
Chased
Chaste
Claws
Clause
+1
Level 83
Mar 19, 2018
"Corse" for "course"? It is both a synonym of "corpse" and the French word for Corsica, and for some reason the first homophone I thought of for that one.
+4
Level 69
Mar 22, 2018
"Corse" for corpse is archaic, although I don't know what Quizmaster's policy is on proper nouns. I'm guessing accepting them would just leave WAY too much leeway.
+19
Level 80
Mar 19, 2018
Clique rhymes with meek where I come from, not with Mick. But no trouble to guess it knowing US pronunciation.

Agree that I'll should work for Aisle.

+1
Level 69
Mar 22, 2018
I saw that pronunciation of clique when I looked up its phoenetic spelling. Wacky! What country/region is that pronunciation used?
+10
Level 93
Apr 29, 2018
australia, canada, uk and given it comes from a french word and that pronunciation of i is closer to the vowel sound in french presumably most of the french speaking world.
+1
Level 49
May 4, 2021
bro i just read that "rhymes with meek, not with meek"

meek=mick in dictionary

+2
Level 77
Jan 26, 2022
Mick = Meek only in dictionaries that have heavy accents.
+1
Level 56
Jun 9, 2022
next quiz: pique = pick
+2
Level 60
Mar 19, 2018
could Bays also work for 1 ?
+1
Level 69
Mar 22, 2018
Only if base and bass rhymed with faze or haze or maze, which they don't
+1
Level 67
Mar 19, 2018
100% with a 1:05 left.
+1
Level 74
Mar 26, 2018
100% with 2:42 left.
+1
Level 89
Jun 17, 2018
Why so slow?
+2
Level 63
Mar 20, 2018
How about "I'll?"
+1
Level 75
Jun 15, 2020
2 words I suppose.
+2
Level 94
Mar 20, 2018
I struggled with the 'course' clue - took me a while to think of 'coarse' as I kept trying 'cause' even though it didn't work the first couple of times I tried it! Anyone else think 'cause' should be acceptable?
+2
Level 69
Mar 22, 2018
Phoenetic spelling of course: kôrs. Phoenetic spelling of coarse: kôrs. Phoenetic spelling of cause: kôz. So, to address your specific question, it doesn't really matter how many people "think" or "feel" that an answer "should" be accepted, because homophones aren't actually defined by opinions.
+1
Level 94
Mar 22, 2018
I apologise, I didn't realise it was linked to phonetics (perhaps this should be explained in the instructions/caveats?). I was just going on how words 'sounded' to me when I say them - this is obviously open to interpretation and dialects/accents can affect how words are pronounced. I would still argue the words do 'sound' the same, which is what the quiz asked for, although not perfectly aligned phonetically and I am entitled to my incorrect opinion :)
+1
Level 82
Mar 24, 2018
"I would still argue the words do 'sound' the same, which is what the quiz asked for, although not perfectly aligned phonetically"

"Same" is not the same as "almost same" or "similar". If they're not "perfectly aligned phonetically", then they aren't homophones by definition.

+1
Level 94
Apr 4, 2018
That is what I mentioned in my last reply - the quiz states "A homophone is a word that sounds the same but is spelled differently". Perhaps it could be amended to state "A homophone is a word that is phonetically the same but spelled differently" as I don't know the exact meaning of the word homophone and didn't look it up before taking the quiz, so simply went off the instructions. I obviously know now so my suggestion for an amendment would be for others who make the same mistake as me...
+1
Level 70
Sep 16, 2018
Phonetics is the same thing as how words sound. Different accents will have different homophones. But I agree that "course" and "cause" are not homophones. A homophone is a word that sounds exactly the same, not just similar. "Course" has a 's' sound at the end, whereas "cause" has a 'z' sound at the end. Unless you have an accent that I don't know of, they won't be homophones in your accent either.
+3
Level 69
Mar 22, 2018
I'm going to reiterate my heartfelt plea that everyone first look up the IPA/phoenetic spelling of the word you think should be accepted. If it doesn't match the clue word's, then you're incorrect, so please don't post.
+2
Level 94
Mar 22, 2018
It appears this is something you care deeply about. I feel the same way on subjects I am great at but others keep getting wrong albeit with fewer comments correcting people
+14
Level 70
Sep 16, 2018
The "correct" answers will be different depending on your accent. IPA transcriptions are different for a General American accent and a Received Pronunciation (British) accent. There are countless other accents where IPA transcriptions are largely unavailable. As long as you understand that homophones must sound exactly the same then you are probably right to point it out. For example, in my (British) accent "click" and "clique" are not homophones. The difference is the same as between "hit" and "heat".
+3
Level 75
Sep 17, 2018
I don't like being told not to post (unless it comes from the QM.) In my accent whale/wail and whet/wet are pronounced differently. I pronounce the h. Why do you have a problem with people posting that their accents don't adhere to the IPA rules? I enjoy reading all the different ways people pronounce the same words. It's educational.The instructions for this quiz say that the words must sound the same. I agree with others above who said anything otherwise should be stated in the instructions. Just curious, under your source are whey and way homophones also?
+2
Level 77
Jan 26, 2022
I think the issue is people complaining about the quiz or asking for changes to be made based on their accent rather than on the standardized phonetic spelling in major dictionaries and such. I think everyone is probably OK with people sharing their own pronunciations, but not OK with constantly checking the "This comment contains a correction" on things like "bet" and "bat" being homophones.
+1
Level 65
Jan 31, 2022
Based on the way word sounds were taught decades ago, ander217 is correct. Words that start with Wh do sound different than words that start with just a W. However, it seems that schools don't teach this anymore. If you hear someone in their 40s or older say Wh differently that's why.
+1
Level 56
Jun 10, 2022
More related to location, not age, of the speaker
+4
Level 73
May 23, 2018
Some of these were hard because I don't pronounce the two words the same.

E.g. chased and chaste, I have just a bit more of a "t" sound in chaste.

I did eventually get them all. I always hated the word "jamb" for some reason. Then again, I guess silent B's are pretty unique, eh?

+1
Level 75
Dec 31, 2020
debt, comb, womb, bomb, lamb, subtle, tomb, dumb, thumb, numb, limb, climb, crumb, plumber...
+4
Level 86
Jun 17, 2018
Wale rhymes with wail. Neither is an exact homophone for whale. But a very enjoyable quiz!
+1
Level ∞
Jun 17, 2018
Correct "wh" pronunciation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZmqJQ-nc_s

+8
Level 71
Sep 17, 2018
Correct is insulting. Saying the common pronunciation is better. There are dialects and accents that traditionally use the aspirated "H" in /wh/ pronunciations still.

And since you like websites...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronunciation_of_English_%E2%9F%A8wh%E2%9F%A9

+4
Level 75
Sep 17, 2018
I agree with gatorsong, and I looked at the website. Their map of the southern US is missing a lot of territory in the upper south where we still use the "hw". I've never heard anyone say "wale" for whale. Apparently the whine-wine merger completely passed us by.
+4
Level 68
Sep 17, 2018
Surely ‘torte’ should be accepted?
+4
Level 75
Sep 17, 2018
Agreed - and 'tort'.
+4
Level 69
Sep 17, 2018
Yup, taught, tort, taut, torte - all homophones. The dessert (preferably chocolate or lemon) is what sprang to mind first :)
+2
Level 37
Aug 25, 2019
I can understand Taut for Taught. But while "tort" and "torte" may be homonyms of each other, how can they be homonyms for "taught" when "taught" doesn't have an "r"?
+2
Level 72
Dec 15, 2020
That is the wonder of English, and particularly for the “gh” combo - many spellings can be pronounced the same way. Taught and torte are pronounced the same (at least in the generic Southern English accent that I have).

How anyone learns English fluently is beyond me, as it is complicated enough even for those whose first language it is. I guess it comes down to the quality of education, which makes me think of a quote from a German character in a play I once saw: “I like the English. They almost speak as good English as the Dutch”.

+1
Level 77
Jan 26, 2022
Torte and taught are only pronounced the same in some accents. The majority of English speakers would not think that torte and taught are homophones.
+2
Level 48
Sep 17, 2018
17/24... Below average, but I guess it's decent for a non-native speaker.
+2
Level 75
Dec 31, 2020
Excellent for a non-native speaker.
+1
Level 60
Sep 17, 2018
Can't "vet" be accepted for "wet", or short-forms aren't included? Please clarify. Thanks, and nice quiz.
+1
Level 67
Sep 17, 2018
They start with two different sounds.
+1
Level 70
Sep 17, 2018
"V" and "W" so not sound the same in any native English accent I have heard. However, I suspect short forms are not included as in another quiz in the same series "bi" was not a correct answer for "buy".
+4
Level 78
Sep 17, 2018
In Wyoming, tot would be correct for taut.
+2
Level 59
Sep 17, 2018
Good one. Canada here, and I agree. (So does Merriam-Webster http://www.learnersdictionary.com/qa/pronunciation-symbols-and-variants-for-the-vowel-sounds-in-tot-and-taught)
+1
Level 60
Sep 17, 2018
Agreed.
+2
Level 48
Apr 5, 2019
Pretty much anywhere in America they are homophones.
+1
Level 59
Sep 29, 2021
That was mine as well.
+4
Level 67
Sep 17, 2018
Damn jamb! >:-(
+1
Level 68
Sep 17, 2018
Always surprisingly difficult since they give you the answers already.
+2
Level 90
Sep 17, 2018
whale|wail and wet|whet are not homonyms. the pairs rhyme, but if you lookup the phonetics for whale and whet they start with a slight h /(h)/ sound that wail and wet do not have.
+2
Level 55
Sep 19, 2018
Yeah, I was like, what/wat?
+1
Level 56
Jun 10, 2022
Regional variation.
+2
Level 69
Sep 19, 2018
How about aisle and I'll?
+3
Level 69
Oct 11, 2018
I've only ever pronounced lien as lee-en (it's alternative phonetic pronunciation) so couldn't get that one.
+2
Level 63
Dec 8, 2019
I'm sorry, but a jamb and lien actually words? Never seen them in my life!
+4
Level 78
Jul 13, 2020
Read more.
+1
Level 49
Jan 26, 2022
Rude
+1
Level 66
Jan 14, 2020
How about bays (for base/bass) and also thought gem for jam
+1
Level 59
Jan 26, 2022
Same, I was gonna ask why gem didn't work for jam. I still don't know though, so if anyone has an answer to that, I'm interested.
+1
Level 68
Jan 26, 2022
Gem rhymes with hem. Jam rhymes with ham. E and a vowels make two different sounds.
+1
Level 56
Jun 10, 2022
Bays has a z sound ending in most areas.
+1
Level 53
Jun 2, 2020
I put tot for taut, like tater tots. Big dumb.
+1
Level 43
Jun 27, 2020
I kept trying "klick" without even thinking of "clique"!
+5
Level 78
Jul 13, 2020
Things I have learned from doing all of these homophone quizzes:

1. There will always be a complaint from a British English speaker that a word containing a letter 'R' is or should be pronounced the same as a similar word nor containing the letter 'R'. Example above is 'tort' and 'torte' for 'taut' and 'taught'. Another example is 'manna' for 'manner' and 'manor'.

2. There will be a refutal of the above by a US English speaker. US English is rhotic and British English (RP) is non-rhotic. Get over it.

3. Quizmaster puts these examples in purposefully, then retires, popcorn in hand, to observe the subsequent linguistic fisticuffs.

+1
Level 49
Jan 26, 2022
Number 3 made me laugh.
+1
Level 55
Nov 23, 2020
Why is bays not accepted?
+1
Level 46
Jan 7, 2021
Exactly! And bass does not sound at all like base...
+3
Level 49
Jan 26, 2022
It meant "bass" like the instrument, not like the fish.
+1
Level 52
Jan 28, 2022
Which is pretty obvious, given the huge bass clef at the top of the quiz!
+1
Level 46
Jan 7, 2021
Well should be accepted for whale too..
+1
Level 49
Jan 26, 2022
I agree. We don't pronounce the "wh" sound at all where I live. If you do, people make fun of you and then make a Stewie reference like you're trying to say "cool whip".
+1
Level 56
Jun 10, 2022
The difference between well and whale is not the wh sound but the vowel sound: well as in el (elevator, el train) and whale as in ale, ail. Regional differences apply, as usual.
+1
Level 73
Jan 27, 2022
Like hell it should!
+3
Level 70
May 10, 2021
Whet and whale both pronounce the h unlike wet and wail
+1
Level 68
Jun 14, 2021
So in Homophones 3, 'pique' rhymed with 'peak' but now in Homophones 4 'clique' rhymes with 'click' ?! US pronunciation is fascinating...
+1
Level 49
Jan 26, 2022
Agreed.
+1
Level 52
Aug 1, 2021
a lot of repeats in #4
+1
Level 67
Nov 22, 2021
Anyone else try I'll for Aisle
+1
Level 56
Jun 10, 2022
Yes; see comments above
+4
Level 72
Jan 26, 2022
What's the difference between a cat and a comma?

A cat has claws at the end of its paws, while a comma has a pause at the end of its clause.

+1
Level 49
Jan 26, 2022
Ha!
+1
Level 88
Jan 26, 2022
Tort and torte should be added as correct i feel...
+1
Level 54
Jan 26, 2022
How's about tot? Like tater tots...
+4
Level 60
Jan 26, 2022
'Lien' is pronounced 'Lee-en', 'mourning' is not pronounced 'morning' except in the USA, and 'clique' is 'cleek' not 'click' anywhere. There are colloquialisms and there are things that are just wrong.
+2
Level 71
Jan 26, 2022
I was surprised that nobody else had mentioned lien in the comments up until now. And I also agree with clique. However, morning and mourning are the same in the UK as far as I am concerned
+1
Level 70
Jan 26, 2022
i thought lien was pronounced like lee- un? and also i have always heard clique like cleek and not clik - like the french?
+1
Level 52
Jan 28, 2022
Agree with both.
+1
Level 61
Jan 26, 2022
Did ok, but never heard of lien, every day is a school day :-)
+1
Level 83
Jan 26, 2022
'Shute' was not accepted. Seems perfectly acceptable to Scrabble.
+1
Level 49
Jan 26, 2022
Everytime I see a British-vs.-American-English face-off, I feel like I'm reliving the Revolution all over again. Good fun. I like to pretend that the war really started during a rousing round of scrabble.
+1
Level 39
Jan 26, 2022
50%, but at least I learned a few new words.
+1
Level 64
Jan 26, 2022
Bass singer here. Somehow I managed to get them all except "bass."
+1
Level 82
Jan 27, 2022
Would baize be a homophone for base?
+1
Level 73
Jan 27, 2022
"Morning

Mourning"

Unbelievable!

+1
Level 65
Jan 27, 2022
Bass does not sound like base. Bays should be accepted.
+1
Level 82
Jan 27, 2022
I feel like there should be a disclaimer on these quizzes to specify what accent is being used, especially since homophones are so dependent on it
+1
Level 64
Oct 24, 2022
'bays' is also a homophone of 'base'.
+1
Level 22
Feb 27, 2024
Full marks (for once)! Although l hammered on "lean" for well over a minute. Tried everything (line, leen, leign, liegn, lighn, etc) before getting "lien" by fluke (don't even know its meaning).