Question

Choose the sentence that is correct in meaning:
a. The colour of your hair is black.
b. The colour of hare is black.

Answer 1

Hint: Hair here refers to a part of the human anatomy. Hare is an animal.

Complete answer:
Homophones refer to those words that mean different things and are spelt differently but mean the same. There are many words in the English language that can fit the category of a homophone.
For instance, illusion refers to an optical error or a misinterpreted sensory experience whereas elusion refers to an act of evading something or someone. Both these words are pronounced in the same way but they mean completely different things and are spelt in different ways.
There are many more such examples that exist in the English language. Deciding which homophone is appropriate in a sentence is wholly contingent on the context of the sentence.
Let us examine the options given above and their context.
In option ‘a’, hair stands for a part of the human body whereas in option ‘b’, hare stands for an animal that bears resemblance to a rabbit. It is a known fact that human hair comes in all colours and that black hair is universal in India. On the other hand, hares can be of many colours like white, grey and brown. Based on the explanation given above, it is clear that the word hair fits the sentence’s context better. Therefore, option ‘a’ the colour of your hair is black is the correct answer.

Note: Understanding the context of the sentence will help you to select the appropriate homophone.