Homophones: Weather and Whether
Homophones are words that sound alike but have different meanings. They confuse readers and writers, and are often the source of frustrating spelling mistakes.
There are lots of tricks available, which will help you differentiate between homophones. In some cases, you can use mnemonics to remember which spelling to use. In other cases, you just have to memorize the words, their meanings, and their spellings.
In any case, it helps to understand the structure of language so that you can more easily recognize words and how to use them properly.
For example, knowing how to diagram a sentence and being able to identify parts of speech will give you an advantage when it comes to telling the difference between homophones.
Weather and Whether
The words weather and whether are typical homophones and especially confusing ones. They sound exactly alike and are spelled quite similarly. A third, incorrect spelling often appears, which is a combination of the two spellings (wheather). Luckily, they have vastly different meanings and there are some tricks we can use to remember all of them.
Wheather is NOT a word
It would make perfect sense if the spelling w-h-e-a-t-h-e-r was used for the word that refers to the climate outdoors because embedded in that spelling is the word heat. Unfortunately, this spelling simply does not exist. There is no heat. So if you’re using either of these homophones, remember that the letter string h-e-a-t should not appear. No heat.
Weather
This word is a NOUN and it deals with sunshine and storms. It may not be 100% tangible but we can certainly feel the weather on our skin when we step outside.
Ever notice that the weather affects your appetite? On cold days soup sounds tasty and hot days, nothing hits the spot like an ice cream or an icy slush. Yes, the weather may help you decide what to eat. Notice that the word eat is conveniently buried inside the word weather.
Whether
This word is a conjunction, close relative of the famous and, or, but, and yet, and it’s often used to determine something: tell me whether or not you’ve finished this blog post.
Using the phrase whether he writes or not, we can form a mnemonic device that will help us remember how to spell this conjunction.
You see, the only difference in spelling between the two homophones weather and whether is that after the w, one has the letters ea and the other has the letters he. As I’m sure you realize, he is an actual word (ea is not, in case you were wondering).
If you can remember the phrase, whether he writes or not, you can easily recall that whether, which is a conjunction, has he within its spelling. Say it over and over: whether he, whether he, whether he. You’ll have it memorized in no time.
More Homophones
Got any tips you’d like to add for remembering how to tell the difference between these homophones? Have a grammar question of your own or a set of homphones that give you aches and pains? Leave a comment!
“Weather” is not only a noun, but also a verb. Of course, you already knew that. Just pointing that out.
My old theatre company used to do tongue twisters and energy exercises before performances. And I remember chanting this:
Whether the weather is cold,
Whether the weather is hot;
we’ll be together whatever the weather,
whether we like it or not.
Kelvin Kaos last blog post..Review: Spring Sing 2009
That’s true – weather is also a verb but it’s rarely used in that manner. However, I should probably go into the post and add a few words about that, i.e. we are going to weather the storm…
It’s a perfect reminder that sounding your words isn’t the best way to spell your words. It’s what trips a lot of kids up in school. They go audio when they need to go visual.
J.D. Meiers last blog post..Author a Distinctive Story
My language skills have always come from a visual place. I think it’s because I read so much as a small child that I tend to see words rather than hear them. I guess I’m lucky
Melissa,
This is a great site. Thanks for all of the helpful information and tips; I certainly need the help!
Johns last blog post..Primitive Baptist Foot Washing
Thanks John. I’m glad you’re finding it helpful. Suggestions are always welcome!
There, their, and they’re, plus, your and you’re, are ones I have to look out for. So many people have become used to spell check that they forget to really read the words they’ve written. It’s easy to get tripped up.
Your post is very timely.
LisaNewtons last blog post..Bike to Work Day – Pit Stops in Santa Monica
A lot of people ask me about spell/grammar check. “But it’s highlighting this as if it’s wrong!” Word processing programs help, but they are not the final word on spelling or grammar, so we still have to learn to proof our own writing.
I love homophones!
As a copyeditor, I come across this particular mistake quite often. Thanks to your helpful mnemonics, hopefully I’ll see it less and less.
Rebecca Smiths last blog post..This post is the bee’s knees
Hopefully we’ll see all the homophones mixed up less and less
Ah man, good tips. I had such a hard time with homophones when I started writing full time about two years ago.
I had all types of grammatical errors now that I think about it. It took hours upon hours of writing to develop my style and understanding of how writers produce great material. I’m going to have to bookmark your blog. I wish I would’ve found it when started writing
Homophones are tricky, but if you take a few minutes to learn them, you’ll have them down in no time! Thanks for visiting and for commenting!
some weather you can think of like i do w(ea+Rth)er(=earth) to remind you that of the weather on earth or hole i ryme it with mole because a mole makes a hole so thats how you do it some times things that have to do with the word.
Hi Mireya, Those are clever tricks for remembering how to spell homophones!