A homophone is a word that sounds exactly like another word but has a different meaning and usually a different spelling. The word comes from Greek roots meaning “same sound.”

English is full of homophones that can trip up writers. There, their, and they're all sound identical but mean completely different things. When you write about a pair of socks, you're using a different word than when you eat a pear or pare an apple, even though they all sound the same when spoken aloud. Other common homophones include to, two, and too; see and sea; write and right; and flower and flour.

Homophones can create confusion in writing but also enable wordplay and puns. Understanding homophones helps you catch spelling errors that spell-checkers miss, since both words are spelled correctly even when you've used the wrong one. When you proofread your writing, checking for homophone mistakes is just as important as checking for typos.