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4th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 8 of 13

Sound-Alikes

Homophones and homographs

What your child practices

Choosing between words that sound alike (there/their/they're, to/too/two, its/it's) and using context to tell which meaning of a word like “bark” or “bow” is meant.

Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: 4.L.4; 4.L.5 · homophones and homographs

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Homophones sound the same but are spelled differently: there, their, they’re.
  2. Test contractions by saying the long form: it’s = it is, they’re = they are.
  3. Homographs are spelled the same with different meanings (bark). Use the sentence to pick the meaning.

Example: “___ going to the park after lunch.” there, their or they’re? Try the long form: “They are going to the park.” That makes sense, so use the contraction. Answer: they’re

Sound-Alikes in Arizona

In the Arizona Academic Standards, this is unit 8 of 13 in 4th grade English Language Arts, after Word Builders and before Paragraph Power.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Arizona Department of Education

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    In which sentence does “fair” mean “an event with rides and games”?

    • Lena has fair hair and freckles.
    • We rode the Ferris wheel at the fair.
    • It's not fair if only one person gets a turn.

  2. Question 2

    Which word correctly completes the sentence?

    The students hung ___ coats on the hooks.

    • their
    • they're
    • there

  3. Question 3

    Words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings are called…

    • antonyms
    • homophones
    • homographs
    • synonyms

  4. Question 4

    Which word correctly completes the sentence?

    Is ___ any milk left?

    • there
    • they're
    • their

  5. Question 5

    Which sentence uses the right homophone?

    • The rode was covered in snow.
    • The road was covered in snow.
    • Ravi road his bike to school.

  6. Question 6

    Which word correctly completes the sentence?

    The twins brought ___ new puppy to the park.

    • they're
    • their
    • there

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