Here are some words that sound the same, but are spelled differently, and mean different things. Read them below and check that you use the right word in your writing.

Lose and loose
• Don’t lose your books.
• The pants were so loose they fell down to his ankles.

Principal and principle
• He is the principal of the school.
• She will not break the law, she has strong principles (here principle means moral belief, something that you think is right).

Right and write
• Your answer is right (correct).
• Write your story on this page with your pen.

Except and accept
• I like going for a walk except when it rains/ I like all the colours except yellow.
• I accept your apology/ He accepted the prize and thanked the audience.

Advice and advise
• I advise you not to do that/ My teacher advised me to study hard (advise is a verb)
• My sister gave me good advice/ He thanked me for my advice (advice is a noun – and another tip: it is never plural. There is no such thing as advices!)

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