Homophones
Homophones are words which have the same pronunciation but different meaning and usually, different spelling. For example, their/there; no/know. For this reason it is very easy to confuse them and use the wrong one. In such cases, computer spell checkers won’t help you much at all. This is where you really need someone else to read what you have written (CLICK HERE for details).
Poets deliberately choose words with this quality for special effect. See if you can follow the meaning of these poems.
CANDIDATE FOR A PULLET SURPRISE¹
I have a spelling checker.
It came with my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.
Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished inn it’s weigh.
My checker tolled me sew.
A checker is a bless sing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when aye rime.
Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o’er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.
Bee fore a veiling checkers
Hour spelling mite decline,
And if we’re lacks oar have a laps,
We wood bee maid too wine.
Butt now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
Their are know faults with in my cite,
Of nun eye am a wear.
Now spelling does knot phase me,
It does knot bring a tier.
My pay purrs awl due glad den
With wrapped words fare as hear.
To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should bee proud,
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaws are knot aloud.
Sow ewe can sea why aye dew prays
Such soft wear four pea seas,
And why eye brake in two averse
Buy righting want too pleas.
Jerry Zar, 29 June 1992
In the above poem, by the author’s count, 123 of the 225 words are incorrect (although all words are correctly spelled).
Here’s another poem which focuses on two words which are homophones of each other.
Whether the weather be fine²
Whether the weather be fine,
Or whether the weather be not,
Whether the weather be cold,
Or whether the weather be hot,
We’ll weather the weather,
Whatever the weather,
Whether we like it or not.
More Homophones
If you want to find out more about homophones, look at the following website which boasts having a complete list of homophones!
http://www.homophone.com/
References
¹ http://www.bios.niu.edu/zar/poem.pdf
² Author unknown.
Have your document edited for homophones! Click here.