這些容易混淆的詞，可千萬別用錯（一）

‘No’ is pronounced just like ’know’, ’wear’ is just like ’where’, and so on.

‘No’的發音和‘know’很像，‘wear’聽起來和‘where’也很像，諸如此類的現象有很多。

Words like these – that are pronounced the same, but differ in meaning – are called homophones.

這種的詞–發音一樣，但意義不同–叫做同音異形異意詞。

You might not pay too much attention to them while speaking, however, when it comes to writing, you may end up making some funny mistakes if you mix up two homophones that are spelled differently.

在口語表達中你可能並沒有注意這些詞，然而，寫作的時候如果你把兩個拼寫完全不同的詞混淆你就會犯一些搞笑的錯誤。

Thank you for the fantastic dinner. It was lovely to meat your wife.

Can you spot the mistake? I hope you won’t make it the next time you want to send a thank you card.

你注意到這個句子的錯誤了嗎？下一次寫感謝卡的時候，希望你不要犯類似的錯誤。

In the following lesson, you’ll find sentences to help you remember how to spell some of the most common homophones.

接下來，我們會提供一些句子來幫助你記住一些常見的同音異形異義詞。

1. AIR/HEIR

空氣/繼承者

Air

空氣

oxygen and other gases that we breathe in

我們吸入的氧氣和其他氣體

It’s spring. Love is in the air and the birds are singing.

春天到了。空氣中充滿了愛的氣息，鳥兒正在唱歌。

Heir

the person who is next in line in a family and inherits something

家裏的下一代繼承人，他可以繼承一些東西。

When the new royal heir is born, hundreds of balloons are sent up in the air to celebrate the event.

新的皇族繼承人出生時，上百個氣球升入空中來慶祝這件事。

2. AISLE/ISLE

通道/島

Aisle

通道

a passageway between seats in rows

兩排座位之間的路

Would you like a window or an aisle seat?

你想要靠過道還是靠窗的座位？

An aisle seat, please. I wouldn’t like to sit next to the window, I’m afraid of heights.

請給我訂一個靠過道的位置。我不想靠窗坐，我恐高。

Isle

島

a small island

一個小島

They’re planning to build an airport on the isle. I think it’s a fantastic idea.

他們打算在這個小島上建一個小島。我覺得這個主意很棒。

3. BALD/BAWLED

禿頭的/放聲痛哭

BALD

禿頭的

someone who has no hair on his head is bald

頭上沒有長頭髮的人就是禿頭。

Will you love me if I go bald?

如果我變成了禿頭你還會愛我嗎？

BAWLED

放聲痛哭

past form of ’bawl’, it means ’cry loudly’

這是‘bawl’的過去式形式，意爲‘放聲痛哭’。

When I realized I was going bald, I bawled liked a child.

當我意識到我快要變成禿頭的時候，我哭的像個孩子。

4. BAND/BANNED

一夥，一羣/禁止

BAND

一羣

a group of people

一羣人

I’d like to form a rock band. Can you play any musical instruments?

我想組建一個搖滾樂隊。你會演奏什麼樂器嗎？

BANNED

禁止

(ban-banned-banned) to prohibit, not allow

這是‘ban’的過去式，表示禁止，不允許

I’d love to be in a rock band, but I thought you were banned from playing loud music in the house.

我想要成爲搖滾樂隊的一員，但是我認爲你不能在房間裏大聲地演奏音樂。

5. BARE/BEAR

空的，赤裸的/熊

BARE

空的，赤裸的

naked, not covered

赤裸的，沒有被覆蓋的

Susy was wearing a daring dress at the party. It revealed her bare legs.

蘇西在聚會上穿了一條暴露的裙子。這使她的雙腿赤裸地露了出來。

BEAR

a big animal with dark brown coat that lives in woods and eats smaller animals and fruit

有着深棕色皮毛的大型動物，它住在樹林中吃比它小的動物和水果。

I took my son to the zoo to see the new baby bear.

我帶兒子去動物園裏看熊寶寶。

6. BE/BEE

是/蜜蜂

BE

是

exist (am,is,are,was,were,been)

存在（be動詞的各種形式，am, is, are,was,were,been）

I’d like to be famous one day.

總有一天我會成名。

BEE

蜜蜂

a flying, stinging insect that makes honey

一種會飛，會叮人，會產蜂蜜的昆蟲

Bees seem to be working all day.

蜜蜂似乎一整天都在辛勤工作。

7. BREAK/BRAKE

打破/閘

BREAK

打破

smash something by bending or damaging it somehow

以某種方式彎曲或者損壞某物某事

You’ll break something if you keep playing football in the living room. Can you stop it, please?

如果你繼續在客廳踢球，你會把別的東西弄壞的。請你停一下，好嘛？

BRAKE

閘

a device to make a car go slower/stop

一種使汽車慢行或者停止前進的裝置

I’ll have to get my brakes checked. I think there’s something wrong with them.

我將檢查一下剎車裝置。我覺得他可能是壞了。

8. BORED/BOARD

無聊的/木板，甲板

BORED

無聊的

not interested in your current activity

對當前的活動不感興趣

I’m bored with you.

我厭倦了你

BOARD

木板/甲板

a flat piece of wood on which you can write, play a game or do sports like surfing, skateboarding etc.

一塊平坦的木板，你可以在上面寫字，玩遊戲，做運動如衝浪，滑板等。

Whenever the teacher goes to the whiteboard and writes something on it, the students start chatting.

老師去白板上寫東西的時候，學生就開始聊天。

9. BUY/BY

買/經過

BUY

買

getting something for money

用錢換置某些東西

I’d like to buy a piano, but my husband doesn’t really like the idea.

我想買一架鋼琴，但是我的丈夫並不認爲這是一個好主意。

BY

經過

through, via

通過，經由

Do you go to work by car?

你要開車去工作嘛？

No, I can’t drive. I always go by train.

不，我不會開車，我通常坐火車。

10. CELL/SELL

細胞，單間/賣

CELL

細胞，單間

a room in a prison/ the smallest part of an organism

監獄裏的小房間/有機體的最小組成部分

How many cells are there in a human body?

人體一共有多少細胞？

SELL

賣

giving something to somebody in return for money

I’ve decided to sell my house and move to Australia.

我打算賣掉房子然後移居澳大利亞。

11. CENT/SCENT

分，一分/氣味

CENT

分，一分

1/100th of a dollar

一美元的1/100

They don’t deserve a cent after what they have done to you.

在他們對你做了這樣的事之後，他們不值一分錢。

SCENT

氣味

smell, odour, fragrance

氣味，香味

Could you feel the scent of jasmine in the garden? It was so lovely.

你能聞到花園裏茉莉花香的味道嗎？它是如此迷人。

12. CLAWS/CLAUSE

爪子/條款

CLAWS

爪子

a sharp, curvy structure at the end of the paws of animals

動物身體末端一種鋒利的彎曲的生理結構

I’m not sure if I should trim my cat’s rear claws. Do you know anything about cats?

我不知道我是否應該修剪貓的後爪。你瞭解貓嗎？

CLAUSE

條款

a section of a legal document

法律條文的一部分

Don’t sign that contract before you read and understand every word and clause!

在閱讀和理解每一個條款之前，不要簽約。

13. CURRENT/CURRANT

現在的/無籽葡萄乾

CURRENT

現在的

happening/existing now

現在發生的，現在存在的

Are you happy in your current job?

你在現在的工作崗位中還開心嗎？

CURRANT

無籽葡萄乾

small, black or red berry that grows on bushes

在灌木叢中生長的小的，黑的或者紅的漿果

Would you like some ice-cream with your blackcurrants?

你想吃帶無籽葡萄乾的冰淇淋嗎？

14. DEAR/DEER

親愛的/小鹿

DEAR

親愛的

loved and valued

親愛的，重視的

You are my dearest friend, you know.

你知道的，你是我最親愛的朋友。

DEER

小鹿

an animal with hooves and antlers that lives in the woods

住在森林裏，有蹄和鹿角的動物

I had venison steak for lunch.

我午餐吃鹿肉

What’s venison?

什麼是鹿肉？

Oh dear, you don’t know? It’s deer meat.

哦，親愛的，你不知道嗎？就是小鹿的肉呀。

15. DIE/DYE

死亡/染色

DIE

死亡

stop living

不再存活

My dog’s very old. I’m afraid he’ll die soon.

我的狗年紀已經大了。恐怕他活不了多久了。

DYE

染色

to colour materials or hair

給材料或者頭髮染色

I’m thinking of dying my hair. Should I dye it blue or pink?

我想染頭髮，我是染粉色還是藍色呢？

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