Homophones are words that sound alike but have different meanings, and usually different spellings.

Here, well focus on the trickier ones people easily get tripped up on.

How many of these are you getting right every time?

Affect/Effect: Affect is the cause; effect is the result.

For example: The rainaffectedeveryones mood.

Did the damp weather have anyeffecton your health?

Accept/Except: Accept means to receive.

Except means not including.

For example: The church isacceptingfood donations.

Theyll take anythingexceptexpired food.

Rein/Reign: Reins are long, narrow straps attached to a horses bit.

Reign means to hold royal office (or the period during which a sovereign rules).

For example: Make no mistake, Whitney holds thereinsin this relationship.

Its hard to believe Queen Elizabeth II hasreignedfor 69 years.

A principle is a fundamental truth, theorem or law.

For example: She never swayed from herprinciples.

The schoolprincipalcalled me into her office.

He is theprincipalof the firm.

How much interest do you pay on theprincipal?

Stationary/Stationery: Stationary means not moving.

Stationery is the pretty paper you write on.

For example: My dad loves hisstationarybike.

I cant stand beingstationaryall day.

Did you buy newstationeryfor your desk?

Heres a helpful mnemonic equipment: Focus on the Es: Stationery goes inenvelopes (or stationeryisenvelopes).

Compliment/Complement:Compliments are expressions of praise.

Complements complete (or enhance) something.

But complements complete is a nifty memory tool.

For example: Deb got a lot ofcomplimentson her haircut.

Corn nuts are the perfectcomplementto beer.

Bare/Bear: Bare means basic, simple, or not clothed.

For example: Shebaresall in her new memoir.

If you ever moved away, I couldntbearit.

Capital/Capitol: Capital should be used when referring to a city, wealth, or an uppercase letter.

Use capitol to refer to the building where lawmakers meet.

For example: Trenton is thecapitalof New Jersey.

How muchcapitaldo you gotta start your own business?

The new statecapitolwas finished in 1957.

Remember: Most capitols have domes.

Than/Then:Than is used to compare; then is used to ground us in time.

For example: Mary has more moneythanher brother.

Lets go shopping,thento the movies.

A helpful trick is to remember: Avanis biggerthana car.

Vain/Vein/Vane: Vain means egotistical, unsuccessful, or useless.

Vein is an anatomical tube that carries blood to the heart.

Vane is short for weathervane.

In short: Vain: Bad.

For example: Mario has always beenvain.

He made avainattempt to graduate.

Figuratively, they are the same or similar.

For example: The sequel was written in the sameveinas the original, but its not as good.

Whos/Whose: Whos is a contraction forwho is.

Whose is a pronoun indicating possession.

For example: Whosplaying in the game tonight?Whosekeys are these?

Elude/Allude: Toelude is toevade orescape.

(Look at all those Es!)

Allude is to suggest indirectly, or recall a previous work of art.

For example: The fugitiveeludedpolice for weeks.

Sallyalludedto Maxs involvement with Katrina, but wouldnt accuse him outright.

Her painting stylealludesto Picassos work.

Censor/Sensor: Censor means to examine or suppress things deemed unacceptable (or the person doing the suppressing).

For example: The First Amendment of the Constitution protects speech from governmentcensorship.

Theres a motionsensorabove their garage.

When in doubt, remember:Censorscut.Sensorssense.

Illusion/Allusion: An illusion is a deceptive appearance or false belief.

Allusion is a figure of speech that refers to something indirectly.

For example: Opticalillusionscan make youillif you look at them long enough.

Soft-baked chocolate chip cookies are my kryptonite (anallusionto Supermans weakness).