English language – fun with homophones

The English language has many homophones (similar sounding words) that have different meaning altogether. It is easy to be confused with such words and one has to be careful to understand their right usage. Here are some examples:

Accept & Except:
Accept: to agree to receive or do
Except: not including

Advice & Advise:
Advice: recommendations about what to do
Advise: to recommend something

Assent & Ascent:
Assent: agreement, approval
Ascent: the action of rising or climbing up

Bare & Bear:
Bare: naked; to uncover
Bear: to carry; to put up with

Complement & Compliment:
Complement: to add to so as to improve; an addition that improves something
Compliment: to praise or express approval; an admiring remark

Council & Counsel:
Council: a group of people who manage or advise
Counsel: advice; to advise

Principal & Principle:
Principal: most important; the head of a school
Principle: a fundamental rule or belief

Cereal & Serial:
Cereal: a grass producing an edible grain; a breakfast food made from grains
Serial: happening in a series

Practice & Practise:
Practice: the use of an idea or method; the work or business of a doctor, dentist, etc.
Practise: to do something repeatedly to gain skill; to do something regularly

Storey & Story:
Storey: a level of a building
Story: a tale or account

Here is a link to other examples of commonly confused words from Oxford dictionary:http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/page/easilyconfused

And here is another great website by Jim Wegryn with a collection of over 2500 english words and phrases in humorous context: http://www.jimwegryn.com/Words/Words.php

And finally here is another video of funny English jokes and commercials: