Homophones are words that sound the same, but, unlike homographs, are not spelled the same. Today, let's look at near homophones, which sound similar but not identical, and have different spellings and meanings. 

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A good example is "weary" and "wary." The adjective "weary" is similar to "tired," while "wary" means "skeptical" or "cautious." The pronunciation of these words is very similar, but "weary" was a long "E" like the word "we," whereas the first syllable of "wary" sounds like the word "where." 

Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon.

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But do be careful. Make sure you use the cycle lanes and be wary of other road users and pedestrians.

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There are also "affect" and "effect," which are each both a noun and a verb. The noun "the effect" is similar to "the outcome," whereas the verb "to effect" means to make something happen and is used rather rarely. Conversely, the verb "to affect" is more common than the noun "the affect." 

And, at the end of day, it's regular people who really effect change.

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Introducing pay by performance has had precisely the opposite effect.

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Accordingly, natural forces affect the material in unpredictable and unique ways.

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Even though they are different parts of speech, many people also confuse the spelling of the adjective "loose" and the verb "lose." 

They're seventy percent silk and give the illusion of skinny jeans, but they're loose, breathable, and warm.

Captions 34-35, How 2 Travelers Rethink What You Wear on the Plane!

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Sometimes you lose an argument, sometimes you lose an election.

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And a final pair to know is "except," which is most commonly used as a conjunction or preposition, and "accept," which is a verb.  

And no one knows except the both of us.

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So, based on the numbers alone, you'd be foolish not to accept this offer.

Captions 24-25, Cannes Advertising Festival Apple: Escape from the Office

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Further Learning
For the pronunciation of these words, watch the videos on Yabla English. In addition to our lessons on homonyms listed above, you can also review our lesson on "they're," "their," and "there."

The three verbs above are very similar, but they actually have completely different meanings. Luckily, with a few examples from Yabla English, we can quickly clarify the difference. 

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The verb "to oversee" is synonymous with "to supervise," and means to watch over what someone is doing or something that is happening. 

Lee oversees the four restoration technicians we have in the museum. 

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The verb "to overlook," on the other hand, means to fail to see or notice something. It's almost the opposite of "to oversee"!

A gem of a park, it's often overlooked.

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Cinderella was delighted, but there was still a small detail that the Fairy had apparently overlooked.

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And overlook this supposed crime

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The phrase "to look over" means to examine, review, check, or inspect something. 

There is nothing out of the ordinary, but we always recommend that you look over it closely.

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Further Learning
Try writing your own sentences in different tenses. If you get stuck, look for examples with the root verbs "to see" and "to look" on Yabla English, as these can be used as a guideline.