N

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Naval, Navel ['neɪ vl̩]

• Naval (adjective) refers to a water-borne military force.
• Navel (noun) is the remnant of the umbilicus (whether an innie or an outie); or a similar structure on a type of seedless orange.

Need - see Knead

New, Nu [nuː]

• New (adjective) not previously in existence, or just introduced.
• Nu (noun) 13th letter of the Greek alphabet ν.

Night – see Knight

No - see Know

Not – see Knot

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Oar, Or, Ore [ʊər]

• Oar (noun) is a paddle used to propel a boat.
• Or (conjunction) separates choices.
• Or (noun) in heraldry, the color gold or yellow.
• Ore (noun) is a mineral from which a useful material (usually a metallic element) may be extracted.

Ode, Owed [əʊd]

• Ode (noun) is a poem of praise.
• Owed (participial adjective) describes a debt.

O, Oh, Owe [əʊ]

• O (noun) the 15th letter of the Latin alphabet.
• O (noun) still the name of the letter, but sometimes used to mean zero.
• Oh (interjection) is an expression of surprise.
• Owe (verb) means that one entity is indebted to another.

One, Won [wʌn]

• One (noun) is the first non-negative cardinal number.
• Won (verb) is the past tense of “win,” meaning to score a victory or achievement.

Our see Hour

Overdo, Overdue [əʊ vər 'du]

• Overdo (verb) means to move past what was desired, or to achieve too much.
• Overdue (adjective) describes an obligation that has not been met by the time it was expected.

Overseas, Oversees [əʊ vər 'siːz]

• Overseas (adjective) means abroad (literally, past the ocean).
• Oversees (verb, third-person singular) means supervision (also, literally). 

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Pail, Pale [peəl]

• Pail (noun) a bucket.
• Pale (adjective) devoid of color.

Pair, Pare, Pear [peər]

• Pair (noun) a set of two things (or people).
• Pare (verb) to cut up, usually in the context of the kitchen.
• Pear (noun) a tree or shrub of the genus Pyrus, or the fruit thereof.

Palate vs. Palette ['pæl ət]

• Palate (noun) the roof of one's mouth, or metaphorically, one's taste in food.
• Palette (noun) a board used by an artist to hold dabs of different colors of paint, for immediate use on the canvas.

Pedal vs. Peddle ['ped l̩]

• Pedal (noun) is a control that one touches with one's foot; found on cars, bicycles, and pianos.
• Peddle (verb) to sell goods or services, often on the street with a pushcart.

Poor, Pore, Pour  [pʊər]

• Poor (adjective) means having little of (something).
• Pore (verb) means to examine in depth, as in “to pore over the report.”
• Pore (noun) is a small opening (as in human skin, or a solid surface) through which gas or liquid will osmose.
• Pour (verb) means to spill in a controlled fashion, or (of weather) to precipitate in an uncontrolled fashion.

Principal vs. Principle ['prin sə pl̩]

• Principal (adjective) "main" or "head" of something.
• Principal (noun) referring to the person in the position described in the first sense, as a school principal.
• Principal (noun) the outstanding amount of a loan (not counting interest and other expenses).
• Principle (noun) a deeply held belief or moral standpoint. "These are my principles. If you don't like them, well, I have others." — Groucho Marx (If I ever call a politician a Marxist, I am usually referencing Groucho, not Karl.)

Psi, Scye, Sigh [saɪ]

• Psi (noun) is the 23rd letter of the Greek alphabet Ψ.
• Scye (noun) in tailoring, is an armhole or leghole in fabric.
• Sigh (verb) is to audibly exhale, often to express frustration or disappointment, sometimes to express relief or contentment.

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Queue see Cue  (dah dit dah dit   dah dah dit dah)

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Rain, Rein, Reign [reɪn]

• Rain (noun) is liquid water precipitation.
• Rein (noun) is a rope used to control a horse (or team of horses).
• Rein (verb) is the act of using a metaphorical rein, as in, “to rein in that rambunctious one.”
• Reign (verb) is the action of a monarch, especially ceremonial.
• Reign (noun) is the period during which a monarch is in his/her/their position.

Raise, Raze (reɪz)

• Raise (verb) to build up
• Raze (verb) to tear down

Ray, Re (reɪ)

• Ray (noun) a beam of light or particles (as in, a sun ray or cathode ray).
• Re (noun) the second note on the major scale, between do and mi ("a drop of golden sun").

Real, Reel [riːl]

• Real (adjective) means actual or extant.
• Reel (noun) is a device for spooling tape, film, rope, or other flexible material.
• Reel (noun) is a type of dance, as in the Virginia Reel (square dance).
• Reel (verb) to sway, as if losing balance
• Reel (verb) to collect onto a spool (“reel in”); metaphorically, to limit someone’s reach

Rho, Roe, Row [rəʊ]

• Rho (noun) the 17th letter of the Greek alphabet (Ρ ρ)
• Roe (noun) eggs of various kinds of fish
• Row (noun) a (usually horizontal) array of items, often ducks
• Row (verb) to propel a water-borne craft with a blade, which is called an “oar,” as in “Rho, Roe, Row Your Boat” 

Right, Wright, Write [raɪt]

• Right (adjective) correct, factual, moral. In geometry, an angle of exactly 90°.
• Right (adjective) opposite of left.
• Wright (noun) a person who creates or shapes something, such as a shipwright or playwright.
• Write (verb) to create with words, such as a novel or story; or to put pen(cil) to paper.

Ring, Wring [rɪŋ]

• Ring (noun) a circular or annular shape; also, an object of that shape, usually made of metal, worn on a finger or toe.
• Ring (noun) the sound made by striking an object such as a bell.
• Ring (verb) to strike a bell or other object, in order to make the sound in the sense above.
• Ring (verb) to call someone on the telephone (because the traditional signal for an incoming call was a ringing bell). ("Isn't it lucky that the inventor of the telephone was not Alexander Graham Siren?" – George Carlin)
• Wring (verb) to twist a towel or rag, in order to extract liquid from it (as an aid in drying); or figuratively, to "twist" someone, via physical, emotional, or mental ordeal, in order to accomplish some end.

Role, Roll [rəʊl]

• Role (noun) is a part in a play, or a position in a business.
• Roll (noun) is a baked good or pastry, or (for example) paper towels for wiping spills.

Roux, Rue [ru]

• Roux (noun) is a mixture of flour and fat used to thicken a sauce.
• Rue (verb) is to regret (having done something wrong).

Rye, Wry [raɪ]

• Rye (noun) is a glutenous grain, used for making bread and whiskey.
• Wry (adjective) means using or expressing dry, often mocking, humor.

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Scye, Sigh see Psi

Sea, See see C, Cee

Sew, So, Sol, Sow [səʊ]

• Sew (verb) is to stitch fabrics together with thread.
• So (adverb) to such an extent ("She is so pretty").
• So (adverb) referring back to something. ("It's hot in here." "So it is.")
• So (conjunction) therefore. ("I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so anyway...")
• Sol (noun) is the fifth note on the major scale, between fa and la.
• Sow (verb) is to plant seeds; or metaphorically, to “plant” an idea.

Sight, Site see Cite

Sole, Soul [səʊl]

• Sole (adjective) single or only; one of a kind. See also Lone.
• Sole (noun) a type of flat fish, used for food.
• Sole (noun) the bottom of a human foot, or the bottom part of a shoe.
• Soul (noun) believed by some to be the immaterial part of a person, regarded as immortal.
• Soul (noun) a person, especially when in (or after surviving) danger.
• Soul (adjective) a genre of music which originated in the African American community in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Some, Sum [sʌm]

• Some (adjective) and unspecified number or amount.
• Sum (noun) amount or quantity; or (arithmetic) the result of addition.
• Sum (verb) to carry out the operation of addition on two or more numbers; or colloquially, to recapitulate previous points ("to sum up…")

Son, Sun [sʌn]

• Son (noun) is one’s male offspring.
• Sun (noun) is a star; most often, the star about which our planet orbits.

Sou, Sue, Xu [su]

• Sou (noun) a former French coin of meager value.
• Sue (verb) means to plead, usually in court for relief from damages.
• Sue (noun, proper) is a personal name, as in “A Boy Named Sue.”
• Xu (noun) is a monetary unit from Vietnam, equal to one hundredth of a dong.

(Note: Every single sense of Sue, Sou, etc. is related to money, including the name; "A Boy Named Sue" was rather successful.)

Stationary vs. Stationery ['steɪ ʃən e rɪ]

• Stationary (adjective) fixed in place, or at least not moving now.
• Stationery (noun) supplies for writing (often, particularly, writing letters).

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Tail, Tale [teəl]

• Tail (verb) means to follow someone, usually surreptitiously.
• Tail (noun) is an appendage in most vertebrates, extending behind the body.
• Tale (noun) is a story, usually fictional.

Taught, Taut [tɔːt]

• Taught (verb, past tense of teach) means to have imparted knowledge to another.
• Taut (adjective) means tight, with no slack.

Tea, Tee, Ti [tiː]

• Tea (noun) is a beverage made from soaking leaves in (usually) hot water.
• Tee (noun) is a stand upon which something is placed, in order to impel the something (as a golf tee).
• Ti (noun) is the seventh note on the major scale ("a drink with jam and bread"), which brings us back to do ("a deer, a female deer").

Team, Teem [tiːm]

• Team (noun) a collection of people, animals, or machines, or combinations thereof, working toward the same goal.
• Teem (verb) means to amass in large numbers; said of a teeming crowd or teeming rain.

Tern, Terne, Turn [tɜːn]

• Tern (noun) is a bird found on seacoasts, related to gulls.
• Terne (noun) is an alloy of lead and tin.
• Turn (verb) means to rotate; or of food, to go bad.
• Turn (noun) is a chance to act (as in a game, “It’s your turn to play”).

The, Thee [ðiː]

• The (adjective) is the definite article; when pronounced as given, either before a vowel sound, or sometimes just for emphasis (“Are you ‘The’ John Smith?”).
• Thee (pronoun) is an archaic form of the second-person singular, objective case.

Their, There, They’re [ðeər]

• Their (pronoun) is the third-person plural (or singular where gender is not specified), possessive case.
• There (adverb) means “in that place.”
• There (interjection) means, “Look at this!” Expressed in exultation or awe.
• They’re (combination and elision) is a contraction of “they are.”

Threw, Through  [θruː]

• Threw (verb, past tense of throw) means hurled or tossed.
• Through (preposition) means in one side and out the other, rather than around.
• Through (adverb) means finished, completed, or condemned.

Throe, Throw [θrəʊ]

• Throe (noun) (most often in the plural throes) violent pain or struggle, often associated with birth or death.
• Throw (verb) means to hurl or toss.
• Throw (verb) can also mean to intentionally lose a competition, usually in exchange for some consideration. (pejorative)

Throne, Thrown [θrəʊn]

• Throne (noun) is the chair upon which a monarch sits to reign; often metaphorical.
• Thrown (verb, past participle of throw) means tossed or hurled.

Thyme, Time [taim]

• Thyme (noun) a culinary herb, of the genus Thymus. Taxonomically, the most common form is Thymus vulgaris (literally, "common thyme").
• Time (noun) is the indefinite, consistent progress of events in the past, present, and future.  Sometimes regarded as a dimension, similar to the three spatial dimensions. In chemistry, passage of time is marked by the increase of entropy.

Tide, Tied [taɪd]

• Tide (noun) gravitational effect of a large, orbiting body, forcing bulges toward and away from that body. 
• Tied (verb, past tense) created a knot, or drew even in a scored event. Thyme and tied weight four know man.

Tighten, Titan ['taɪ tn̩]

• Tighten (verb) means to secure an object, or make it more secure.
• Titan (noun) originally referred to figures in Greek mythology, now means any giant (actual or metaphorical) in any field.
• Titan (proper noun) the largest satellite of the planet Saturn.

To, Too, Two [tuː]

• To (preposition) means approaching, or reaching; or expressing motion in the direction of.
• To (adverb) is used with the base form of a verb to mark the infinitive.
• Too (adverb) in a higher degree than desired.
• Too (adverb) as well.
• Two (noun) the cardinal number after one.

Toe, Tow [təʊ]

• Toe (noun) a digit of the foot.
• Toe (verb) to step up to, as in “toe the line.”
• Tow (verb) to pull or drag something behind, usually one vehicle pulling another.

Ton, Tonne, Tun [tʌn]

• Ton (noun) a unit of weight in the imperial system equal to 2,000 pounds.
• Tonne (noun) a unit of mass in the International System equal to 1,000 kilograms.
• Tun (noun) a large cask for beer or wine; or, a unit of volume in the imperial system, equal to 4 hogsheads. (There is inconsistency on the size of a hogshead…by some definitions, this makes "hogshead" a homophone.)

Tracked, Tract [trækt]

• Tracked (verb, past tense of track) followed the progress of something, as an airplane.
• Tract (noun) an area of indefinite extent, as in “large… tracts of land.”
• Tract (noun) a major passage in a body, as in “digestive tract.”
• Tract (noun) a written treatise.

Troop, Troupe [truːp]

• Troop (noun) a group of soldiers, especially a cavalry unit commanded by a captain.
• Troop (verb) move together in large numbers.
• Troupe (noun) a group of entertainers who tour to different sites to perform.

Turban, Turbine ['tɜːr bən]

• Turban (noun) a type of headwear based on winding cloth.
• Turbine (noun) machine for producing continuous power in which a wheel or rotor, typically fitted with vanes, is made to revolve by a fast-moving flow of water, steam, gas, air, or other fluid.

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U see Ewe

Undo, Undue [ʌn 'du]

• Undo (verb) is to reverse some operation (or at least its result).
• Undue (adjective) means not earned or not called for. [See also due.]

Unreal, Unreel [ʌn 'riːl]

• Unreal (adjective) means imagined or fictional.
• Unreel (verb) means to pay out some material stored on a reel. [See also Reel]

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Vain, Vane, Vein [veɪn]

• Vain (adjective) means conceited or self-important.
• Vane (noun) is a device to show the direction of wind.
• Vein (noun) is a major circulatory vessel, taking blood to the heart.
• Vein (noun) is a deposit of valuable ore.

Vale, Veil [veəl]

• Vale (noun) is a valley (often used in poetry).
• Veil (noun) is a covering, most often of one’s face.

Vial, Vile, Viol ['vaɪ l̩]

• Vial (noun) is a small container (usually of rare liquid).
• Vile (adjective) is a synonym for evil (also an anagram of evil).
• Viol (noun) is a stringed instrument, from the baroque period.

Vice, Vise [vaɪs]

• Vice (noun) is a habit or indulgence, usually connoting sin, but is probably just not good for one.
• Vise (noun) is a tool for holding something tightly.

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Wait, Weight [weɪt]

• Wait (verb) to delay, in anticipation of something.
• Weight (noun) the force due to gravitation, proportional to mass.

Ware, Wear, Where [weər]

• Ware (noun) pottery; or colloquially, other manufactured goods.
• -ware (combining form) denoting articles made for serving food (tableware, cookware) or data (hardware, software).
• Wear (verb) to use to cover oneself.
• Wear (noun) evidence of use; erosion; depreciation.
• Where (adverb) at, in, or to which, when used after reference to a place or situation.
• Where (adverb) at what place, when used in a question.

Way, Weigh, Whey [weɪ]

• Way (noun) A method of accomplishing something; or a thoroughfare.
• Weigh (verb) To measure mass, using gravitational forces.
• Weigh (verb) To lift a ship's anchor, in preparation to set sail.
• Whey (noun) the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained.

We, Wee, Whee [wi:]

• We (pronoun) First-person, plural, nominative case.
• Wee (adjective) Small or tiny, as in "a wee lad."
• Whee (interjection) Excitement over a ride (as in an amusement park, or a metaphorical ride such as during a stock market crash).

Weather, Wether, Whether ['weð ər]

• Weather (noun) outside conditions; the variance from climate.
• Wether (noun) a castrated male sheep. When wearing a bell, its startle or fright will alert the rest of the flock to danger (and it is now called a "bellwether").
• Whether (conjunction) an exclusive choice between alternatives.

Who's, Whose (hu:z)

• Who's (combination + elision) a contraction for "who is."
• Whose (pronoun) Possessive, third-person (for an indefinite person).

Why, Wye [waɪ]

• Why (adverb) in a question, asking for a reason or explanation.
• Wye (noun) the 25th letter of the Latin alphabet Y y; or a connector (especially in plumbing), or an intersection, with that letter's shape. "When you come to the fork in the road, take it." — Yogi Berra

Won see One

Wry see Rye

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Xi see C, Cee

Xu see Sou

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Yew, You [ju] see Ewe

Yoke, Yolk [jəʊk]

• Yoke (noun) is a device which binds two oxen together, making them a team. Metaphorically, two people may be yoked together (as in an unhappy marriage).
• Yolk (noun) is the part of an egg rich in protein and fat, which nourishes the developing embryo.

Yore, Your, You’re [jʊər]

• Yore (noun) means “time past,” usually long past.
• Your (pronoun) is the second person (singular or plural) possessive case.
• You’re (combination + elision) is a contraction for “you are.”

You see Ewe

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