Some words are easily confused because they sound the same or nearly the same. Accept means to receive or agree to; except means not including. Past is about time or position (we drove past the school); passed is the past tense of pass (she passed her test).
Allowed means permitted; aloud means out loud. Desert is a dry place; dessert is a sweet course (dessert has two s's, like strawberry shortcake).
Learn each pair with a memory trick and a sample sentence.
Worked example
Choose: “Everyone came ___ Leo.” (accept / except)
- The meaning is everyone apart from Leo.
- Not including is except.
Answer:Everyone came except Leo.
Key words
- homophone
- a word that sounds like another
- near-homophone
- words that sound almost the same
- memory trick
- a quick way to remember
Practise this
New questions every time.
Common Core-referenced: L.5.2e