Quick English: One and Won

In the English language, it’s common to come across two words that sound similar, but mean different things. These are known as homophones. Although they sound the same when read out loud, they have completely different spellings. One and won are common examples of homophones. Pay attention to how they function, and you’ll never get confused about which one to use again!

One

Definition: (n.) a single unit or thing

You would use one when you want to indicate how many or to highlight a single thing in a group.

I would like one hot dog please.

Do you see my car? It’s that one over there.

Won

Definition: (v.) the past tense and past participial of “to win”

You would use won when you want to talk about the positive outcome of a competition after it has already happened.

We won the championship league last weekend.

Charles won a new coffee cup in the contest at work yesterday.

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Hopefully this guide has helped clarify the difference between these commonly confused words. Are there any other homophones you’d like us to discuss? Let us know in the comment section below.