Омофони. High and hi, higher and hire

Hi, everyone!
Did you know that there are special words called “homophones”? It has nothing to do with phones, if that’s what you thought. Homophones (омоніми)  are words which have absolutely the same pronunciation but different meanings. For example, if you write that you’re so board, people will misunderstand you, because you’re not a board made of wood from a tree, you’re bored, you’re not interested.

Can you find another example in the picture? I’ll give you a hint  – it also has something to do with trees…

There are also words which have almost the same pronunciation, but still sound a bit different. For example, if you say “I want buy this” – it’s incorrect, because you meant “I won’t buy this”. One sound can make a great difference.

So as not to make fools of ourselves and do everything right, let’s find out a little more about…

High and hi, higher and hire

High and hi are homophones. We say them like this: [haɪ]
High – високий
I have very high heels. (високі підбори)

Hi – привіт =)
Hi there – привіт (коли speakers на великій відстані).
So if I am talking to someone on the phone, I can say “hi there”.
Іноді "Hi there" використовують як більш informal version of “hi”.

Higher and hire are also homophones: [’haɪər]
Higher – it is the comparative form of the adjective “high”.

This mountain is high, and this mountain is higher.
We have the phrase “higher education”. This is the type of education we can get at a university.
To hire – наймати на роботу. It is a synonym of “to employ”. The opposite of “to hire” is “to fire” – звільняти.

I think that people with higher education are more likely to get hired by good companies. Do you agree with this statement?

Here are some more phrases with these words which might be useful:

• To be high – to be on drugs now. Sarah doesn’t understand anything, she’s high.
• High time – саме час. It’s high time we started our homework!
• High-flier – a person who is usually successful. Don’t worry about Davina, she will pass the test, she’s a high-flier!
• High mountain – висока гора
• High voice – високий голос. Sopranos have high voices.
• Not for hire – this taxi cannot take new passengers. A taxi was waiting at the theater, but it was not for hire.
• Hire (someone/something) out - to let someone use something for pay. Здавати комусь щось. I hired my lawnmower out to my owners. (= they used my lawnmower, I got money)
• High price – висока ціна. What is the highest price you can pay for a pair of high-heeled shoes?

Answer these questions:
- Do you have higher education?
- Do you say “hi” if you meet your friend more than once a day?
- Do you think men get hired for more responsible jobs?