Mastering Confusing Words: Hear vs. Here and Accept vs. Except

Khan AcademyKhan Academy

This educational video provides a clear and engaging guide to mastering two sets of frequently confused words: "hear" vs. "here" and "accept" vs. "except." The narrator, David, breaks down these homophones (or near-homophones) by defining their parts of speech and meanings, ensuring students understand not just how to spell them, but how they function grammatically within a sentence. The video explores key themes of spelling, grammar, and mnemonic strategies. For each word pair, the narrator provides specific memory aids: finding the word "ear" inside "hear," rhyming "here" with "near," linking the "ex" in "except" to "exclude," and connecting the "ac" in "accept" to "access." These cognitive hooks are designed to help learners permanently distinguish between the spellings. For educators, this video is an excellent resource for strengthening vocabulary and writing skills. It directly addresses common pitfalls in student writing and offers practical, visual tools for self-correction. The content is versatile enough to be used as a flipped classroom assignment, a review before a spelling test, or a reference tool for editing workshops, empowering students to proofread their work with greater confidence.

Related Lessons