Rain, reign, and rein are three more homophones that sound alike but are spelled differently and mean different things.
Rain is a noun meaning the water that falls from the sky. Try to picture the a in rain as a waterdrop.
The rain spattered loudly against the windowpane.
Rain always seems to ruin our outdoor plans.
Rain is also a verb showing the action of water falling from the sky.
I was planning a bike ride, but it looks as though it may rain.
It seems like it has rained every day this week.
Reign is a verb meaning to rule over a country or group of people. A king reigns. Both king and reign have the letter -g.
Queen Elizabeth reigns over the United Kingdom.
Usually a king will reign until his death.
Reign also works as a noun when it means the time during which a monarch is on the throne.
The reign of Queen Elizabeth is one of the longest in history.
People enjoy reading about the legendary reign of King Arthur.
Rein is the harness strap used on a horse. A rider pulls on the rein to control the horse’s speed and direction.
Pull gently on the rein to make the horse stop.
A rein is usually made of leather.
Rein can also be used as a verb when it means to pull back or to control. Use in with the verb rein.
Be sure to rein in the horse before taking the big jump.
It’s time for the school board to rein in its spending.
These three words will seem less confusing if you remember the little tricks. Rain has an –a that looks like a waterdrop. Reign and king both have a –g. Rein is part of a horse’s harness, and you rein in a horse.