Its, it's
Their, there, they're
Your, you're
The words in red are possessive, meaning they indicate that something belongs to someone.
Each word above in blue is a contraction, which means a pronoun and verb put together. The apostrophe takes the place of a missing letter.
Let’s look at them one set at a time.
its and it's
its = belonging to it
it's = it is (the apostrophe takes the place of the second i)
Example-
Grab the umbrella by its handle because it's raining.its handle - the handle belongs to the umbrella
it's raining = it is raining
Their, There, and They're
Their = belonging to them
There = -----> not here but over there
They're = they are (the ' takes the place of the a in "are")
Example
They're going to move their chairs over there.
They're = they are (going to move...)
Their chairs - the chairs belong to each of them
There - the chairs are being moved to a different place: over there, not here
Your and You're
Your = belonging to you
You're = you are (the ' takes the place of a)
Example
You're going to need yourcoat.
You're = you are (going to need...)
Your coat = the coat that belongs to you
Dear and Deer
dear = greeting in a letter or beloved
deer = an animal
Dear Aunt Sally,
I was with my dear friend when we saw a deer in the woods.
desert and dessert
desert = dessert =
I had ice cream for dessert, but it melted because I was in the hot desert.
Tip: Dessert has two "S"'s because it is twice as sweet - and everyone wants more dessert.
know and no
know = to have knowledge of
no = negative, opposite of yes
You said "no" when I asked if you still live in Kansas. Now I know that you moved to Georgia.
miner and minor
miner = someone who works in a mine, digging for coal or diamonds.
minor = 1. someone under 18
2. not very serious or important
Miners work hard, doing dangerous and dirty work.
A minor is too young to sign a legal contract. Minor has an o because oh, you are not old enough yet!
No one was hurt in the car accident. It was just a minor fender bender.
peer and pier
peer = someone who is an equal (of the same age, grade level or similar job status)
pier = a structure built partly on land, partly on water for boats to dock
A fisherman took a few of his peers (other fishermen) to the pier on the lake. Pier has an i because it is used by people who want to go fishing.
right or write
right = 1. something you should be allowed to do or
2. on the right side (not left)
write = put words on paper
The Constitution says that we have the right to write letters complaining to our government officials.
Unless you are left-handed, you probably write with your right hand.
Write starts with a w because it means to put words on paper.
then and than
then = 1. a different time, not now
2. as a result, usually after "if"
than = used when making a comparison
If not now, then when?
I used to be a good runner, but I was much younger then.
First you defrost the meat, and then you turn the oven on.
If you are getting cold, then put on a sweater.
My shirt is a lighter shade of yellow than Mike's shirt.
I would rather walk in the park than go to the gym.
to, too, two
to = preposition, as in: Let's go to the store. two = a number
too = 1. also, 2. extremely
Mom took two baskets of fruit to the food bank, and I did too! However, some of the grapes fell out of one basket because it had too many grapes.
toe and tow
toe = tow =
I stubbed my toe, and now it hurts.
My parents gave me a present. It was a new car with a bow.
However I crashed it, and now it needs a tow.
Notice that bow and tow rhyme, and after the first letter, they are spelled the same.
weather and whether
weather = how it feels outside:
hot, cold, dry, or wet
whether = if
Due to this unpredictable weather, I don't know whether I should carry an umbrella.
Tips: Remember that the phrase "whether he writes or not" repeats the "he."
In hot weather, you eat ice cream. In cold weather, you eat soup.
Homonyms Practice Quiz
For each of the following questions, write each answer in the box provided. Answer choices are in [brackets]. Questions will have more than one answer, so write your answers in the order that they appear, separated with a comma (,).
[Its, It’s] hard to say [weather, whether] the crashed car will need a [toe, tow].
Please take only [to, too, two] cookies because three is [to, too, two] many.
I went [to, too, two] the [peer, pier] for some fishing with some [dear, deer] friends of mine.
In the woods, I saw some [dear, deer] and one had spots on [its, it’s] back legs.
The [miners, minors] came home from work with coal dust on [there, their, they’re] clothes.
[There, Their, They’re] in the [desert, dessert] was a rabbit hopping around a cactus.
The Constitution says if you are accused of a crime, you have the [right, write] to a jury of your [peers, piers].
[Dear, Deer] Uncle Joe, I’m sorry but [no, know], I can’t come to [your, you’re] party.
That cake [your, you’re] eating looks good. I want [desert, dessert], [to, too, two]!
I can hear them, so I [no, know] that [there, their, they’re] close!
He can’t vote this year because he will still be a [miner, minor] on Election Day.
I hurt my [right, write] hand, so I had to [right, write] the letter with my left hand. However, my hand should heal soon because the injury was [miner, minor].
I have an uncle who says his [toe, tow] itches right before rain or other bad [weather, whether], but I think he’s crazy.
If you would rather go outside [than, then] watch tv, [than, then] go soon.
Tell them to first put [there, their, they’re] shoes on and [than, then] they can go outside.