previous / next

air   —   heir

[‘Heir’ has the same pronunciation as “air” – letter ‘h’ is silent]

Although these words are spelt differently they can be confused because they have the same sound.  This confusion occurs especially when listening to somebody or doing the listening comprehension task, or, even worse, saying the word “heir” with the ‘h’ sound can cause embarrassment.

“Air” is ‘the mixture of gases which we breathe in’,

e.g.

The fresh air made her feel refreshed.

“Heir” is ‘the person who has the lawful right to receive a title, property, position, etc. after the death of an older member of the family, firm, company, etc.’,

e.g.

In some societies, only the eldest son is the heir to the family property.

<<< Back to List A

<<< Back to main page /  Next aisle ~ isle >>>