Homonyms from Bel to Blue

by Lisa Binion

With how many of the following homonyms are you familiar?

Bel, bel, bell, and belle
Bel is an ancient Babylonian god.
According to Babylonian mythology, Bel is the god of the earth.
A bel is a unit of power ratio, equal to 10 decibels.
Bel is a physics term.
A bell is a hollow musical instrument, with a clapper hung inside.
The farmer rang the bell to let his goats know it was time for dinner.
A belle is a beautiful woman.
Melanie was the belle of the ball.

berth and birth
A berth is a narrow, shelflike sleeping space on a boat, plane, or railroad car.
Aaron did not think that he could sleep comfortably in the berth provided.
All of us mothers know the meaning of birth. It is the act or instance of being born, or the act of bringing forth offspring.
Jocelyn is due to give birth one day next week.

Besot and besought
To besot is to intoxicate, to make stupid or foolish, or to infatuate.
Timothy, besotted with Helena, decided to ask her to the dance.
Besought is the past form of the verb beseech, which means to beg or implore urgently.
Esther besought the favor of the king.

Better and bettor
If something is better, it is superior.
A piece of fruit is a better choice for dessert than a piece of chocolate cake.
A person who places a bet is called a bettor.
Donald is a frequent bettor.

Bight, bite, and byte
The middle part of a rope is called a bight, as is a bend or curve on the shore of the sea or a river.
The running horse was tripped by the bight.
When you bite something, you cut, wound, or tear it with the teeth.
Shelley took a huge bite of the apple.
A byte is bits, usually in groups of eight, processed by the computer as a unit.
One byte of information is needed to transmit one keystroke on an average keyboard.

Billed and build
A billed animal, of course, has a bill. If someone you owe money sends you a bill, then you have been billed.
The duck is a billed animal.
Sheila asked to be billed by the doctor.
When you construct something out of materials, you build it.
My grandson loves to build all kinds of things with legos.

Bit and bitt
Bit is the past tense of bite.
Teresa bit down on the mold for the dentist.
Bitt is a nautical term that describes a strong post of iron or wood projecting above the deck of a ship used for securing cable, lines for towing, etc.
The ship was having its bitt repaired.

Blew and blue
Blew is the past tense of blown.
She blew out the birthday candles on the cake.
Blue is the color of the sky or of water.
The blue dress is the one that appealed to her the most.