Second Grade English: Homophones (there/their/they're, to/two/too, hear/here)

English is full of playful auditory twins words that sound exactly identical when spoken aloud, but feature different spellings and carry completely different meanings. These fascinating words are known as homophones. The term homophone comes from two Greek word parts: homo (meaning same) and phone (meaning sound or voice). Because your ear cannot hear any difference between homophones, your eyes and brain must work together as detectives to choose the correct spelling. In this chapter, you will master second grade's three most famous homophone trios: there/their/they're, to/two/too, and hear/here.

Understanding the Homophone Phenomenon

A homophone occurs when two or more words share the exact same phonetic pronunciation but have different origins, spellings, and definitions.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
|                     THE HOMOPHONE ILLUSION                      |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                                 |
|   What Your EAR Hears:         What Your EYE Sees:              |
|                                                                 |
|                                [ S U N ]  (Bright star in sky!) |
|         /sʌn/           ----->                                  |
|                                [ S O N ]  (Male child/family!)  |
|                                                                 |
|   Identical sound, but two completely different realities!      |
|                                                                 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Why Context Is Everything

If someone simply says the word /sʌn/ in isolation, you have no way of knowing whether they are talking about the solar star or a family member. You must listen to the context of the sentence: "The sun is shining brightly today." The clue shining immediately reveals the correct spelling!

Master Trio 1: There, Their, and They're

This is the most famous homophone family in the English language. Each word has a specific role that you can remember with visual memory tricks.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
|                 THERE VS. THEIR VS. THEY'RE                     |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Word     | Clue to Remember      | Meaning & Example           |
+-----------+-----------------------+-----------------------------+
|  there    | Contains "here"       | Points to a place:          |
|           | (t-HERE)              | "Put the box over there."   |
|  their    | Contains "heir"       | Shows ownership:            |
|           | (a person who owns)   | "The boys rode their bikes."|
|  they're  | Has an apostrophe     | Contraction for "they are": |
|           | (they + are)          | "They're coming to dinner." |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

The "They Are" Test

Whenever you are unsure whether to write they're, substitute the two words they are into your sentence. If the sentence still makes sense ("They are playing in the yard"), then they're is the correct spelling! If it sounds ridiculous ("Put the box over they are"), you know it must be there or their.

Master Trio 2: To, Two, and Too

These three tiny words sound identical (/tuː/) but perform three entirely distinct jobs.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
|                       TO VS. TWO VS. TOO                        |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Word | Memory Trick       | Function & Example                 |
+-------+--------------------+------------------------------------+
|  two  | Has a 'w' like 2!  | The number 2:                      |
|       |                    | "I have two pet rabbits."          |
|  too  | Extra 'o' = extra! | Means "also" or "excessively":     |
|       |                    | "Can I come too?" / "Too hot!"     |
|  to   | The everyday arrow | Direction or verb link:            |
|       |                    | "We walked to the library."        |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

The Extra 'O' Memory Trick

Notice that too has an extra letter 'o'. Think of that extra 'o' as meaning "more than enough" or "also!" If your soup is too salty, it has too much salt. If you want dessert too, you want that in addition!

Master Pair 3: Hear and Here

This pair sounds like /hɪər/ and is easy to master using spelling clues. Look at the word hear: notice that it contains the word EAR inside it (h-EAR)! You use your ear to hear sounds! Look at the word here: it points to your current location: "Come sit right here next to me."

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Choose the correct word to complete each sentence: "The children packed (there / their / they're) bags for school." "(To / Two / Too) many cooks spoiled the broth." "Did you (hear / here) the loud thunder?"

Exercise 2: Write three original sentences demonstrating the correct use of there, their, and they're.

Exercise Solutions

Solution to Exercise 1: In the first sentence, the correct spelling is their (showing ownership of bags). In the second sentence, the correct spelling is Too (meaning an excessive number). In the third sentence, the correct spelling is hear (containing ear, referring to listening).

Solution to Exercise 2: A student could write: Please place your boots over there by the front door. The students finished their colorful art projects on time. They're going to the community park after school today.