Homophones: There/Their/They're Sorted

E13Homophones and Confusables

They're there with their dog.

Homophones sound alike but spell differently — the exam's favourite ambush.

The big three, sorted.

there = a place · their = belonging to them · they’re = they are

to school · too much, me too · two = 2

your coat · you’re = you are

UK special: practice/licence with C = noun · practise/license with S = verb.

Learn the Tests

1Expand the apostrophe ones.

they’re = they are · you’re = you are · it’s = it is. If the expansion fits, use the apostrophe form.

expand test

2‘too’ means too much or also.

Extra o = extra amount: too hot, me too. Otherwise to; the number is two.

too = extra

3C = noun, S = verb (UK).

football practice (thing) · I practise daily (action). Same for licence/license, advice/advise.

practiCe/practiSe

💡 Key IdeaOne memory hook per pair beats re-learning: t-here is a place (here hides inside); their has ‘heir’ — an heir owns things.

Worked Example

Choose correctly: ‘___ going to bring ___ boots over ___.’

1st gap

= they are → expand test ✓

They’re

2nd gap

belonging to them

their

3rd gap

a place

there

Watch Out! Common Mistakes

could of · should of.

could of ✕

It’s a verb! The sound is ‘could’ve’ = could have. Never ‘of’.

Effect/affect flipped.

RAVEN: Affect is a Verb, Effect is a Noun. The rain affected the match; it had an effect.

loose for lose.

Don’t loose the key ✕

One o! lose = misplace; loose = not tight. ‘Loose’ rhymes with goose.

⬇ Cheat Sheet

HOMOPHONES AND CONFUSABLES

Apostrophe forms: expand them (they are / you are / it is).
too = too much or also; two = 2; otherwise to.
UK: C = noun (practice), S = verb (practise).
could've = could HAVE, never 'could of'.

Example: They're bringing their boots over there.

📖 Continue Your Journey

✓ E1 Finding Facts (Retrieval)✓ E2 Inference ✓ E3 Vocabulary in Context ✓ E4 Writer's Word Choice ✓ E5 Summarising and Main Ideas ✓ E6 Word Classes ✓ E7 Main and Subordinate Clauses ✓ E8 Punctuation Essentials ✓ E9 Tenses and Agreement ✓ E10 Active and Passive Voice ✓ E11 Direct and Reported Speech ✓ E12 Spelling Rules E13 Homophones and Confusables E14 Synonyms, Antonyms and Shades E15 Figurative Language E16 Writing: Plan, Build, Improve

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Next Lesson: E14 Synonyms, Antonyms and ShadesSame-ish isn't the same.

📄 Free printable: Download the Homophones and Confusables cheat sheet (PDF) — keep it by your child's desk.

Quick summary

they're/you're/it's: expand to 'they are' etc. — if it fits, apostrophe.
too = excess or also (extra o); two = the number; otherwise to.
UK rule: practice/licence with C are nouns; practise/license with S are verbs.
could've = could have — 'could of' is always wrong.

Frequently asked questions

How do you choose between there, their and they're?

Expand first: if 'they are' fits, use they're. Then their = belonging to them (heir hides inside); there = a place (here hides inside).

What's the difference between practice and practise?

In UK English the C spelling is the noun (football practice) and the S spelling is the verb (I practise daily) — same pattern as advice/advise.

Why is 'could of' wrong?

Because the phrase is could have, contracted to could've — the sound tricks the ear into writing 'of', but it's always a verb.

E14 Synonyms, Antonyms and Shades