Master confusing words with ease
Home in on vs. Hone in on
Home in on
/ həʊm ɪn ɒn /Examples:
The cat homed in on the rustling sound in the bush.As he spoke, the children homed in on his every word.The software can home in on text errors automatically.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Hone in on
/ həʊn ɪn ɒn /Examples:
The detective began to hone in on the suspect's whereabouts.As the storm approached, they honed in on safety protocols.Scientists are honing in on a cure for the disease.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Home in on relates to the idea of focusing or zeroing in on something, similar to a homing missile finding its target.
- Hone in on is often used interchangeably with home in on, but traditionally, hone means to sharpen something, like honing a blade.
- To remember which is which, think of a homing pigeon — it doesn't sharpen anything, it just heads straight home.
- Despite debates, many accept hone in on due to its linguistic evolution, but home in on is historically correct if referring to direction or focus.
- If you prefer traditional usage, home in on belongs to target or directional contexts.
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