Practise sound, meaning and spelling together
Import 24 checked pairs, listen to the Spanish forms, then recall the correct spelling from the sentence. This guide remains fully useful without the app.
Spanish homophones
What is a homophone in Spanish?
Homophones share a pronunciation but not a meaning. They may also differ in spelling, as in tubo (tube) and tuvo (had). Homographs are different: they share the same spelling, as vino (wine) and vino (came).
Silent h creates pairs such as hola and ola. The letters b and v normally represent the same Spanish phoneme, so baca and vaca sound alike. A sentence supplies the missing clue: La vaca está junto a la baca.
Pronunciation varies. In yeísta speech, ll and consonantal y merge; in seseo, c before e or i and z merge with s. This guide labels those regional pairs instead of claiming that every Spanish speaker pronounces them alike.
Choose the spelling in three steps
Read the whole sentence and identify the intended meaning before looking at the letters.
Connect each spelling to a stable clue: h for hecho from hacer, v in tuvo from tener, or a word family such as grabación for grabar.
Check whether the pair depends on your target variety. Practise the contrast as spelling and vocabulary even when your pronunciation distinguishes it.
24 Spanish homophone pairs in sentences
The first 12 pairs are broadly homophonous; the final 12 depend on widespread yeísmo or seseo and are marked clearly.
| Spanish pair | Different meanings | Example in context | Why do they sound alike? |
|---|---|---|---|
| hola / ola | hello / wave | Hola, mira esa ola. | Spanish h is silent, so meaning and syntax—not sound—select the spelling. |
| hecho / echo | done or fact / I put or throw | He hecho la tarea y echo la carta al buzón. | Spanish h is silent, so meaning and syntax—not sound—select the spelling. |
| haber / a ver | to have or there be / let us see | Tiene que haber otra ruta; vamos a ver el mapa. | Spanish h is silent, so meaning and syntax—not sound—select the spelling. |
| honda / onda | deep or sling / wave | La onda llegó hasta la bahía honda. | Spanish h is silent, so meaning and syntax—not sound—select the spelling. |
| hasta / asta | until or as far as / pole or horn | Caminamos hasta el asta de la bandera. | Spanish h is silent, so meaning and syntax—not sound—select the spelling. |
| hablando / ablando | speaking / I soften | Hablando con Ana, ablando la masa. | Spanish h is silent, so meaning and syntax—not sound—select the spelling. |
| baca / vaca | roof rack / cow | La vaca está junto a la baca del coche. | Standard Spanish b and v represent the same phoneme; use meaning and word family to spell the form. |
| bello / vello | beautiful / body hair | El paisaje es bello, pero tengo un vello en el brazo. | Standard Spanish b and v represent the same phoneme; use meaning and word family to spell the form. |
| bienes / vienes | assets or goods / you come | Si vienes mañana, revisamos los bienes. | Standard Spanish b and v represent the same phoneme; use meaning and word family to spell the form. |
| botar / votar | throw away or bounce / vote | Antes de votar, no debes botar la papeleta. | Standard Spanish b and v represent the same phoneme; use meaning and word family to spell the form. |
| grabar / gravar | record or engrave / tax or encumber | Van a grabar el debate y gravar ese producto. | Standard Spanish b and v represent the same phoneme; use meaning and word family to spell the form. |
| tubo / tuvo | tube / had | El tubo tuvo una fuga. | Standard Spanish b and v represent the same phoneme; use meaning and word family to spell the form. |
| halla / haya / aya | finds / form of haber or beech / governess | El aya halla una haya en el parque. | This pair is homophonous in widespread yeísta speech, where ll and consonantal y merge. |
| vaya / valla / baya | form of ir / fence or billboard / berry | Vaya hasta la valla y recoja una baya. | This pair is homophonous in widespread yeísta speech, where ll and consonantal y merge. |
| calló / cayó | became silent / fell | Se calló cuando el libro cayó al suelo. | This pair is homophonous in widespread yeísta speech, where ll and consonantal y merge. |
| rallar / rayar | grate / draw lines or scratch | Voy a rallar el queso sin rayar la mesa. | This pair is homophonous in widespread yeísta speech, where ll and consonantal y merge. |
| arrollo / arroyo | I run over or roll up / stream | Arrollo la manta junto al arroyo. | This pair is homophonous in widespread yeísta speech, where ll and consonantal y merge. |
| pollo / poyo | chicken / stone bench | El pollo está junto al poyo de piedra. | This pair is homophonous in widespread yeísta speech, where ll and consonantal y merge. |
| casar / cazar | marry / hunt | Prefieren casar a los personajes, no cazar animales. | This pair is homophonous in seseo varieties, where c before e or i and z merge with s. |
| cocer / coser | cook or boil / sew | Voy a cocer las patatas antes de coser el botón. | This pair is homophonous in seseo varieties, where c before e or i and z merge with s. |
| cima / sima | summit / chasm | Desde la cima vimos una sima profunda. | This pair is homophonous in seseo varieties, where c before e or i and z merge with s. |
| tasa / taza | rate or fee / cup | La tasa aparece impresa en la taza. | This pair is homophonous in seseo varieties, where c before e or i and z merge with s. |
| ves / vez | you see / time or occasion | ¿Ves esa señal? Es la primera vez que aparece. | This pair is homophonous in seseo varieties, where c before e or i and z merge with s. |
| ciento / siento | one hundred / I feel or I seat | Siento que faltan ciento veinte euros. | This pair is homophonous in seseo varieties, where c before e or i and z merge with s. |
Four spelling patterns behind the pairs
Start with silent h and b/v, then treat ll/y and c/s/z as pronunciation-variety patterns.
Silent h
The h changes spelling and often word family, but it contributes no sound.
hola / ola · hecho / echo · haber / a ver · honda / onda · hasta / asta · hablando / ablando
The b/v spelling contrast
The sound is shared; meaning and related words must carry the spelling.
baca / vaca · bello / vello · bienes / vienes · botar / votar · grabar / gravar · tubo / tuvo
ll/y in yeísta varieties
These forms merge for most speakers but remain distinct in varieties that preserve ll.
halla / haya / aya · vaya / valla / baya · calló / cayó · rallar / rayar · arrollo / arroyo · pollo / poyo
c/s/z in seseo varieties
These forms merge across most of the Americas but remain distinct under distinción.
casar / cazar · cocer / coser · cima / sima · tasa / taza · ves / vez · ciento / siento
How do you remember the right spelling?
Do not memorise a bare sound. Make a two-sided contrast with a short sentence: Hola, mira esa ola. The syntax and meaning force the spelling.
Use word families when possible: hecho belongs to hacer; grabar to grabación; cocer to cocina; votar to votación. A related form can expose the letter that sound hides.
For yeísmo and seseo pairs, learn the regional label as part of the fact. Neither pronunciation is “careless”: these are established features of Spanish varieties.
Hola Cards is a Spanish flashcard app from holacards.org for iOS and Android. It is free to download, requires no account, has no ads, and works offline. The interface is available in English, Russian, and Portuguese; cards support translations in 28 languages and 18 practice and game modes. You can import these 24 checked pairs into a custom group and practise them with Spanish audio, writing, pronunciation, and spaced review. Audio cannot reveal which spelling a speaker means when two forms are true homophones, and Hola Cards does not correct arbitrary sentences, so always learn each form with meaning and context.
Connect spelling practice to the pronunciation patterns and nearby grammar that create the most confusion.
Spanish b and v pronunciation Spanish ll and y pronunciation Spanish c, z and s pronunciation Spanish words that change meaning with accents Spanish writing practice app
A five-minute homophone drill
- Cover the meanings and read the Spanish pair aloud.
- Read the example and choose which spelling belongs in each position.
- State the spelling clue or regional pronunciation pattern.
- Write a new sentence that contrasts both forms.
- Review once from meaning to spelling and once from audio to context.
Language references
Definitions, core examples and pronunciation-variety notes were checked against public resources from INTEF and RAE–ASALE.
- INTEF: homophones, homographs and examples
- INTEF: a ver and haber
- RAE–ASALE: seseo and ceceo
- RAE–ASALE: the /b/ sound and b, v, w
FAQ
What are Spanish homophones?
They are forms that share a pronunciation but have different meanings; many also have different spellings, such as tubo and tuvo.
Are hola and ola homophones?
Yes. Spanish h is silent, so both sound alike, but hola is a greeting and ola is a wave.
Do b and v sound different in Spanish?
In standard Spanish they represent the same phoneme, although its exact pronunciation changes by position.
Are ll and y always homophones?
No. They merge in widespread yeísta varieties, but speakers who preserve the distinction pronounce them differently.
Are casa and caza always homophones?
No. They sound alike in seseo varieties, including most of the Americas, but speakers with distinción contrast s with c or z.
Can Hola Cards tell which homophone a speaker means?
No. Audio alone cannot disambiguate true homophones. Use meaning and sentence context, then practise the fixed examples.
Copy 24 Spanish homophone pairs into Hola Cards
Open word groups in Hola Cards, choose paste/import, and paste the block. Each line uses “Spanish - meaning”.
**Spanish homophones: 24 pairs**
hola / ola - hello / wave
hecho / echo - done or fact / I put or throw
haber / a ver - to have or there be / let us see
honda / onda - deep or sling / wave
hasta / asta - until or as far as / pole or horn
hablando / ablando - speaking / I soften
baca / vaca - roof rack / cow
bello / vello - beautiful / body hair
bienes / vienes - assets or goods / you come
botar / votar - throw away or bounce / vote
grabar / gravar - record or engrave / tax or encumber
tubo / tuvo - tube / had
halla / haya / aya - finds / form of haber or beech / governess
vaya / valla / baya - form of ir / fence or billboard / berry
calló / cayó - became silent / fell
rallar / rayar - grate / draw lines or scratch
arrollo / arroyo - I run over or roll up / stream
pollo / poyo - chicken / stone bench
casar / cazar - marry / hunt
cocer / coser - cook or boil / sew
cima / sima - summit / chasm
tasa / taza - rate or fee / cup
ves / vez - you see / time or occasion
ciento / siento - one hundred / I feel or I seat
Review Spanish homophones in Hola Cards
Practise 24 fixed pairs with Spanish audio, writing, pronunciation, custom groups, and spaced review on iOS and Android.