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WorksheetYear 8Level 2 · Standard

Free Year 8 Commonly Confused Words (affect/effect, their/there/they're, etc.) Worksheet

Students sort out the word pairs and triples that spell-checkers miss and markers notice: affect/effect, their/there/they're, your/you're, to/too/two, whose/who's, then/than, practise/practice, accept/except, lose/loose, weather/whether, principal/principle, complement/compliment, licence/license and stationary/stationery. Each item gives a memory hook so the right choice sticks. Australian spellings are used throughout, including the verb/noun distinction in practise/practice and license/licence.

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Year
Year 8
Subject
English
Topic
Homophones
Difficulty
Level 2 · Standard
Estimated time
20 minutes
Curriculum
Australian Curriculum
Questions
16
Answers
Included, with working
Format
PDF (A4) + print

Students will practise

  • choosing the correct word from commonly confused pairs
  • distinguishing verb and noun spellings (practise/practice, license/licence)
  • explaining the difference between confused words
  • proofreading for word-choice errors

Curriculum: Australian Curriculum. We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.

What's next?

Completed: Commonly Confused Words (affect/effect, their/there/they're, etc.)

Ready for more? Move on to Year 9 English.

How to use this worksheet

  1. Print the PDF or complete it on screen. Write the student's name and date at the top.
  2. Read the instructions for each part together before starting. Encourage working to be shown.
  3. Mark with the answer sheet. Use the model answers and success criteria as a guide rather than a single right answer.
  4. Record the score, celebrate what went well, then follow the "What's next" suggestion.

Common questions

Who is this worksheet for?

Year 8 students (typically ages 13–14) working on homophones. It is pitched at level 2 · standard.

Are the answers included?

Yes. The PDF includes a full answer sheet with model answers and success criteria where there is more than one good answer. You can also view the answers online.

How long does it take?

About 20 minutes for 16 questions. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.

Do I need to sign up to download?

No. Click Download Free PDF and it opens immediately. It is free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.

What should we do next?

Explore more Year 8 english resources.

Preview

Year 8 · English · Homophones

Commonly Confused Words (affect/effect, their/there/they're, etc.)

Success Tutoring

Student name:

Date:

Score: /

Spell-checkers will not catch these. When you proofread, pause at every one of these words and ask which meaning you need.

Part A — Pick the right word

Circle the option that completes the sentence correctly.

1.The late night did not ______ her performance.
  1. Aaffect
  2. Beffect
2.______ going to need ______ coats; it's cold over ______.
  1. ATheir / there / they're
  2. BThey're / their / there
  3. CThere / they're / their
  4. DThey're / there / their
3.______ welcome to bring ______ own lunch.
  1. AYour / you're
  2. BYou're / your
  3. CYour / your
  4. DYou're / you're
4.It is ______ late ______ walk ______ the shops.
  1. Ato / too / to
  2. Btoo / to / to
  3. Ctoo / too / to
  4. Dto / to / too
5.______ jacket is this, and ______ coming to collect it?
  1. AWhose / whose
  2. BWho's / who's
  3. CWhose / who's
  4. DWho's / whose
6.She is taller ______ her brother, but ______ he is two years younger.
  1. Athan / then
  2. Bthen / than
  3. Cthan / than
  4. Dthen / then

Part B — Fill the gaps

Write the correct word from the pair in each gap.

7.The netball team will on Tuesday; makes perfect. (practise / practice)
8.Everyone the invitation Tom. (accept / except)
9.If you the key, the gate will swing open. (lose / loose)
10.I don't know the will clear by the weekend. (weather / whether)
11.The reminded us of the school's first : honesty. (principal / principle)
12.The red scarf will your coat, and you will get a on it. (complement / compliment)

Part C — Explain the difference

Answer in full sentences.

13.Explain the difference between licence and license in Australian English, with an example of each.
14.Explain the difference between stationary and stationery, and give a memory hook.
15.'Affect' is usually a verb and 'effect' usually a noun, but each can swap roles. Write one sentence using effect as a verb meaning 'to bring about'.
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About this resource

Created by
Success Tutoring
Last reviewed
1 October 2026
How it was made
Written by our team

Free to print and share for personal, classroom and homeschool use. Please don't resell. Spotted an error? Let us know.