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Words that sound the same are homophones e.g. ‘hear’ (action with ears), ‘hair’ (strands on skin), and ‘here’ (close placement). Homophones can also be homographs, words with same sound, same spelling but different meaning e.g. ‘bat’ (flying animal, sporting equipment, and action to hit), ‘light’ (brightness, colour, weight, and action to start fire), and ‘bark’ (tree part and dog’s sound). Homonyms are both homophones and homographs.
Here is a list of English homophones with examples of them in sentences to learn the difference.
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Two words homophones with examples
ad: I saw an ad in the newspaper for a new movie.
add: I will add sugar to my coffee.
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allowed: I was allowed to go to the park.
aloud: He read the story aloud to the class.
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ate: The dog ate its food quickly.
eight: There are eight planets in our solar system.
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aunt: My aunt gave me a birthday present.
ant: The ant crawled across the table.
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beat: The drum beat a steady rhythm.
beet: I like to eat roasted beet.
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been: I have been to the beach many times.
bin: Please put the recycling in the bin.
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berry: The juicy berry stained my fingers.
bury: They will bury the treasure at the foot of the old oak tree.
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bite: The dog gently bite the toy.
byte: A byte is a unit of computer data.
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boar: The wild boar rummaged through the forest.
bore: The long lecture bore the students.
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board: The chess pieces were placed on the board.
bored: I was bored during the movie.
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blew: The wind blew the leaves off the trees.
blue: The sky was a beautiful blue.
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brake: I pressed the brake to stop the car.
break: I need a short break from work.
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bread: I like to eat toast with butter and bread.
bred: The farmer bred horses on his ranch.
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but: I want to go to the park, but it is raining.
butt: He accidentally bumped his butt on the table.
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buy: I will buy some groceries at the store.
by: The book was written by a famous author.
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caught: The cat caught the mouse.
court: The tennis match was held in the court.
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cell: The prisoner was locked in the cell.
sell: The store will sell the clothes at a discount.
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cereal: I eat cereal for breakfast every morning.
serial: I watched the latest episode of the serial on TV.
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check: I need to check my email.
cheque: I wrote a cheque to pay the rent.
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chilli: I added a chilli pepper to the soup.
chilly: It was a chilly day, so I wore a jacket.
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coarse: The sandpaper was very coarse.
course: I am taking a cooking course.
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complement: The colours in the painting complement each other.
compliment: She gave me a compliment on my new shoes.
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currant: I love the taste of currant in my scones.
current: The current in the river was strong.
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dam: The dam prevented the river from flooding.
damn: That’s too damn bad!
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death: The news of his death saddened everyone.
debt: I need to pay off my student debt.
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die: I hope the plant doesn’t die.
dye: I want to dye my hair a new colour.
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dew: The morning dew glistened on the grass.
due: My homework is due tomorrow.
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eye: The cat closed its eye.
I: I went to the store.
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fairy: The fairy waved her magic wand.
ferry: We took the ferry to the island.
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farther: I can run farther than you.
father: My father is a kind man.
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flair: She has a flair for writing.
flare: The fireworks flare in the night sky.
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fir: The Christmas tree was a tall fir tree.
fur: The cat has soft, white fur.
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fond: I am fond of chocolate ice cream.
fund: We are raising money for a school fund.
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four: I have four siblings.
for: I went to the store for milk.
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genes: Genes are passed down from parents to children.
jeans: I wore my blue jeans to the concert.
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god: Many people believe in God.
gourd: The gourd was used to make a bowl.
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gorilla: The gorilla thumped its chest.
guerrilla: The guerrilla fighters hid in the jungle.
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got: I got a new bike for my birthday.
gut: He felt a knot in his gut.
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grate: I need to grate the cheese.
great: The movie was great.
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graze: The cows were graze in the field.
greys: The clouds were a mixture of whites and greys.
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guest: We invited many guests to the party.
guessed: I guessed the answer correctly.
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heal: The cut on my finger will heal quickly.
heel: I wore high-heeled shoes to the party.
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him: I gave the book to him.
hymn: We sang a religious hymn at church.
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higher: The mountain is higher than the hill.
hire: I need to hire a babysitter.
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hoarse: My voice is hoarse from shouting.
horse: I went for a ride on the horse.
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hole: There is a hole in my sock.
whole: I ate the whole pizza.
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hour: I studied for one hour.
our: This is our house.
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idle: I was feeling idle so I took a nap.
idol: Many people consider him an idol.
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in: The cat is sleeping in the basket.
inn: We stayed at a cosy inn in the countryside.
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it’s: It’s a beautiful day.
its: The dog wagged its tail.
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flea: The dog was scratching because it had a flea.
flee: The animals flee from the fire.
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flour: I used flour to bake a cake.
flower: The garden was filled with beautiful flowers.
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lead: Lead is a heavy metal.
led: The guide led us through the forest.
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leak: There is a leak in the roof.
leek: I added a chopped leek to the soup.
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maid: The maid cleaned the hotel rooms.
made: I made a delicious dinner.
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maize: Maize is another name for corn.
maze: We got lost in the maze.
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mane: The lion has a long, flowing mane.
main: The main course of the meal was steak.
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meat: I love to eat grilled meat.
meet: I will meet you at the cafe.
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missed: I missed the bus.
mist: The mountain was covered in mist.
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moose: The moose is a large deer.
mousse: I had chocolate mousse for dessert.
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mourning: The family was in mourning after the loss of their loved one.
morning: I wake up early every morning.
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muscle: I lifted the weight using my muscle.
mussel: We ate steamed mussels at the seafood restaurant.
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need: I need to go to the grocery store.
knead: I knead the dough for the bread.
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new: I bought a new car.
knew: I knew the answer to the question.
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night: It was a beautiful night.
knight: The knight rode into battle on his horse.
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no: I have no time to go to the movies.
know: I know how to ride a bike.
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none: I have none left.
nun: The nun lived in a convent.
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nose: I scratched my nose.
knows: He knows the answer.
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one: I have one dog.
won: I won the race.
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pace: I pace back and forth when I’m nervous.
paste: I used glue paste to stick the paper together.
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pain: I felt a sharp pain in my foot.
pane: The window pane was broken.
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passed: The car passed me on the highway.
past: In the past, people travelled by horse.
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peace: I wish for world peace.
piece: I ate a piece of cake.
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plain: The landscape was plain and flat.
plane: I took a plane to Paris.
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pray: I pray every night.
prey: The lion hunted its prey.
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principal: The principal of the school gave a speech.
principle: He lives by the principle of honesty.
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profit: The company made a large profit this year.
prophet: The prophet foretold the future.
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rain: It started to rain.
reign: The queen reign over the kingdom.
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rare: That type of bird is very rare.
rear: The car had a flat tire in the rear.
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raw: I like to eat my steak raw.
roar: The lion let out a loud roar.
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rap: The rapper performed a fast rap.
wrap: I need to wrap this present.
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real: Is that a real diamond?
reel: The fisherman cast his reel.
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read: I read a book every night.
reed: The wind blew through the tall reeds.
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read: I read the newspaper this morning.
red: The apple is red.
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ring: I wear a wedding ring.
wring: I wring out the wet towel.
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road: We drove down the long, winding road.
rode: I rode my bike to the park.
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root: The tree has deep roots.
route: What is the best route to take to get there?
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rob: The thieves robbed the bank.
rub: I rubbed my eyes.
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sail: We went for a sail on the boat.
sale: The store is having a big sale today.
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sauce: I put tomato sauce on my pasta.
source: What is the source of the river?
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sea: The ocean is a vast sea.
see: I can see the moon.
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seam: The seam on my pants ripped.
seem: You seem happy today.
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shore: We walked along the shore of the lake.
sure: Are you sure you want to go?
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shot: The hunter shot the deer.
shut: Please shut the door.
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sight: The view from the mountaintop was a beautiful sight.
site: The construction site was very busy.
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sole: The sole of my shoe is worn out.
soul: I believe in the human soul.
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some: I need to buy some milk.
sum: What is the sum of 2 + 2?
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son: My son is playing in the yard.
sun: The sun is shining brightly.
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stake: I hammered the stake into the ground.
steak: I ordered a delicious steak at the restaurant.
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stationary: The car remained stationary.
stationery: I bought some new stationery for school.
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steal: The thief tried to steal the jewelry.
steel: The bridge is made of steel.
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suite: We stayed in a luxury hotel suite.
sweet: The candy was very sweet.
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tail: The dog wagged its tail.
tale: He told a fascinating tale of adventure.
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tied: I tied my shoes.
tide: The tide was coming in.
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toe: I stubbed my toe on the table.
tow: The truck had to tow the broken-down car.
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tour: We took a tour of the city.
tore: I tore the paper in half.
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wail: The baby began to wail.
whale: The whale breached the surface of the water.
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waist: I wear a belt around my waist.
waste: Don’t waste water.
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watt: The light bulb uses 60 watts of power.
what: What time is it?
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weak: I feel weak after my illness.
week: I work a 40-hour week.
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way: This is the easiest way to do it.
weigh: I need to weigh myself.
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wait: Please wait for me.
weight: I lifted the heavy weight.
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weather: The weather is beautiful today.
whether: I don’t know whether to go or stay.
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which: Which one do you prefer?
witch: The witch cast a spell.
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whine: The puppy began to whine.
wine: I had a glass of wine with dinner.
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wood: The table is made of wood.
would: I would like to go to the beach.
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we’ll: We’ll be there soon.
wheel: The bicycle has two wheels.
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your: This is your book.
you’re: You’re going to the party, right?
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Three words homophones with examples
air: We breathe air.
heir: He is the heir to the throne.
ear: I listen with my ears.
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aisle: We walked down the aisle to our seats.
isle: The island was a beautiful isle.
I’ll: I’ll be right back.
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bare: My feet were bare.
beer: I ordered a glass of beer.
bear: The grizzly bear roared.
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cent: A penny is one cent.
scent: I love the scent of roses.
sent: I sent him an email.
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deer: I saw a deer in the forest.
dear: My dear friend,
dare: I dare you to jump in the pool.
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fair: The carnival was a fair.
fear: I have a fear of heights.
fare: I paid the bus fare.
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not: I do not want to go.
knot: I tied a knot in the rope.
nut: I love to eat peanuts and other nuts.
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or: Would you like coffee or tea?
oar: He rowed the boat with an oar.
ore: The miners dug for ore.
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pair: I bought a pair of shoes.
pear: I ate a juicy pear.
peer: She peered through the window.
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right: You are right and he is wrong. We must go left and not right.
write: I write stories.
rite: The ancient rite was performed.
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sew: I know how to sew a button.
so: I am so happy to see you.
sow: The farmer will sow the seeds in the spring.
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shear: The sheep were sheared for their wool.
share: I will share my food with you.
sheer: The cliff was sheer.
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stair: I climbed the stairs.
steer: The captain steered the ship.
stare: I stared at the beautiful sunset.
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toad: The toad hopped across the garden.
towed: The truck towed the broken-down car.
toed: The dancer toed the line.
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there: I will be there soon.
their: They lost their keys.
they’re: They’re going to the park.
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two: I have two dogs.
to: I am going to the store.
too: It is too hot outside.
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vain: He is very vain and always admires himself in the mirror.
vein: The nurse found a vein in my arm.
vane: The wind turned the weather vane.
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wear: I wear a watch on my wrist.
where: Where do you live?
ware: The store sells pottery ware.
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you: I saw you at the park.
ewe: The farmer sheared the ewe for wool.
yew: The yew tree is an evergreen.
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Four words homophones with examples
hear: I can hear the music.
hair: I need to cut my hair.
hare: The hare ran across the field.
here: Please come here.
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pore: A pore is a very small hole in the skin.
poor: He is a very poor man, he has no money.
pour: Please pour me a glass of water.
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pause: Let’s pause for a moment.
paws: The dog licked its paws.
pours: The rain pours down.
pores: We sweat through the pores in our skin.
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See also:
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