‘No’ is pronounced just like ’know’, ’wear’ is just like ’where’, and so on.
‘No’的发音和‘know’很像，‘wear’听起来和‘where’也很像，诸如此类的现象有很多。

Words like these – that are pronounced the same, but differ in meaning – are called homophones.
这种的词–发音一样，但意义不同–叫做同音异形异意词。

You might not pay too much attention to them while speaking, however, when it comes to writing, you may end up making some funny mistakes if you mix up two homophones that are spelled differently.
在口语表达中你可能并没有注意这些词，然而，写作的时候如果你把两个拼写完全不同的词混淆你就会犯一些搞笑的错误。

Thank you for the fantastic dinner. It was lovely to meat your wife.

Can you spot the mistake? I hope you won’t make it the next time you want to send a thank you card.
你注意到这个句子的错误了吗？下一次写感谢卡的时候，希望你不要犯类似的错误。

In the following lesson, you’ll find sentences to help you remember how to spell some of the most common homophones.
接下来，我们会提供一些句子来帮助你记住一些常见的同音异形异义词。

1. AIR/HEIR
空气/继承者

Air
空气

oxygen and other gases that we breathe in
我们吸入的氧气和其他气体

It’s spring. Love is in the air and the birds are singing.
春天到了。空气中充满了爱的气息，鸟儿正在唱歌。

Heir
继承者

the person who is next in line in a family and inherits something
家里的下一代继承人，他可以继承一些东西。

When the new royal heir is born, hundreds of balloons are sent up in the air to celebrate the event.
新的皇族继承人出生时，上百个气球升入空中来庆祝这件事。

2. AISLE/ISLE
通道/岛

Aisle
通道

a passageway between seats in rows
两排座位之间的路

Would you like a window or an aisle seat?
你想要靠过道还是靠窗的座位？

An aisle seat, please. I wouldn’t like to sit next to the window, I’m afraid of heights.
请给我订一个靠过道的位置。我不想靠窗坐，我恐高。

Isle
岛

a small island
一个小岛

They’re planning to build an airport on the isle. I think it’s a fantastic idea.
他们打算在这个小岛上建一个小岛。我觉得这个主意很棒。

3. BALD/BAWLED
秃头的/放声痛哭

BALD
秃头的

someone who has no hair on his head is bald
头上没有长头发的人就是秃头。

Will you love me if I go bald?
如果我变成了秃头你还会爱我吗？

BAWLED
放声痛哭

past form of ’bawl’, it means ’cry loudly’
这是‘bawl’的过去式形式，意为‘放声痛哭’。

When I realized I was going bald, I bawled liked a child.
当我意识到我快要变成秃头的时候，我哭的像个孩子。

4. BAND/BANNED
一伙，一群/禁止

BAND
一群

a group of people
一群人

I’d like to form a rock band. Can you play any musical instruments?
我想组建一个摇滚乐队。你会演奏什么乐器吗？

BANNED
禁止

(ban-banned-banned) to prohibit, not allow
这是‘ban’的过去式，表示禁止，不允许

I’d love to be in a rock band, but I thought you were banned from playing loud music in the house.
我想要成为摇滚乐队的一员，但是我认为你不能在房间里大声地演奏音乐。

5. BARE/BEAR
空的，赤裸的/熊

BARE
空的，赤裸的

naked, not covered
赤裸的，没有被覆盖的

Susy was wearing a daring dress at the party. It revealed her bare legs.
苏西在聚会上穿了一条暴露的裙子。这使她的双腿赤裸地露了出来。

BEAR
熊

a big animal with dark brown coat that lives in woods and eats smaller animals and fruit
有着深棕色皮毛的大型动物，它住在树林中吃比它小的动物和水果。

I took my son to the zoo to see the new baby bear.
我带儿子去动物园里看熊宝宝。

6. BE/BEE
是/蜜蜂

BE
是

exist (am,is,are,was,were,been)
存在（be动词的各种形式，am, is, are,was,were,been）

I’d like to be famous one day.
总有一天我会成名。

BEE
蜜蜂

a flying, stinging insect that makes honey
一种会飞，会叮人，会产蜂蜜的昆虫

Bees seem to be working all day.
蜜蜂似乎一整天都在辛勤工作。

7. BREAK/BRAKE
打破/闸

BREAK
打破

smash something by bending or damaging it somehow
以某种方式弯曲或者损坏某物某事

You’ll break something if you keep playing football in the living room. Can you stop it, please?
如果你继续在客厅踢球，你会把别的东西弄坏的。请你停一下，好嘛？

BRAKE
闸

a device to make a car go slower/stop
一种使汽车慢行或者停止前进的装置

I’ll have to get my brakes checked. I think there’s something wrong with them.
我将检查一下刹车装置。我觉得他可能是坏了。

8. BORED/BOARD
无聊的/木板，甲板

BORED
无聊的

not interested in your current activity
对当前的活动不感兴趣

I’m bored with you.
我厌倦了你

BOARD
木板/甲板

a flat piece of wood on which you can write, play a game or do sports like surfing, skateboarding etc.
一块平坦的木板，你可以在上面写字，玩游戏，做运动如冲浪，滑板等。

Whenever the teacher goes to the whiteboard and writes something on it, the students start chatting.
老师去白板上写东西的时候，学生就开始聊天。

9. BUY/BY
买/经过

BUY
买

getting something for money
用钱换置某些东西

I’d like to buy a piano, but my husband doesn’t really like the idea.
我想买一架钢琴，但是我的丈夫并不认为这是一个好主意。

BY
经过

through, via
通过，经由

Do you go to work by car?
你要开车去工作嘛？

No, I can’t drive. I always go by train.
不，我不会开车，我通常坐火车。

10. CELL/SELL
细胞，单间/卖

CELL
细胞，单间

a room in a prison/ the smallest part of an organism
监狱里的小房间/有机体的最小组成部分

How many cells are there in a human body?
人体一共有多少细胞？

SELL
卖

giving something to somebody in return for money
把某物给某人以换取钱财

I’ve decided to sell my house and move to Australia.
我打算卖掉房子然后移居澳大利亚。

11. CENT/SCENT
分，一分/气味

CENT
分，一分

1/100th of a dollar
一美元的1/100

They don’t deserve a cent after what they have done to you.
在他们对你做了这样的事之后，他们不值一分钱。

SCENT
气味

smell, odour, fragrance
气味，香味

Could you feel the scent of jasmine in the garden? It was so lovely.
你能闻到花园里茉莉花香的味道吗？它是如此迷人。

12. CLAWS/CLAUSE
爪子/条款

CLAWS
爪子

a sharp, curvy structure at the end of the paws of animals
动物身体末端一种锋利的弯曲的生理结构

I’m not sure if I should trim my cat’s rear claws. Do you know anything about cats?
我不知道我是否应该修剪猫的后爪。你了解猫吗？

CLAUSE
条款

a section of a legal document
法律条文的一部分

Don’t sign that contract before you read and understand every word and clause!
在阅读和理解每一个条款之前，不要签约。

13. CURRENT/CURRANT
现在的/无籽葡萄干

CURRENT
现在的

happening/existing now
现在发生的，现在存在的

Are you happy in your current job?
你在现在的工作岗位中还开心吗？

CURRANT
无籽葡萄干

small, black or red berry that grows on bushes
在灌木丛中生长的小的，黑的或者红的浆果

Would you like some ice-cream with your blackcurrants?
你想吃带无籽葡萄干的冰淇淋吗？

14. DEAR/DEER
亲爱的/小鹿

DEAR
亲爱的

loved and valued
亲爱的，重视的

You are my dearest friend, you know.
你知道的，你是我最亲爱的朋友。

DEER
小鹿

an animal with hooves and antlers that lives in the woods
住在森林里，有蹄和鹿角的动物

I had venison steak for lunch.
我午餐吃鹿肉

What’s venison?
什么是鹿肉？

Oh dear, you don’t know? It’s deer meat.
哦，亲爱的，你不知道吗？就是小鹿的肉呀。

15. DIE/DYE
死亡/染色

DIE
死亡

stop living
不再存活

My dog’s very old. I’m afraid he’ll die soon.
我的狗年纪已经大了。恐怕他活不了多久了。

DYE
染色

to colour materials or hair
给材料或者头发染色

I’m thinking of dying my hair. Should I dye it blue or pink?
我想染头发，我是染粉色还是蓝色呢？

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