Sounds like
Homophones
A homophone indicator (say, reportedly, heard, on the radio) means the answer sounds like another word suggested beside it.
Homophones punish lazy listening. Accent and crossword convention both matter. “Pair” and “pear” are safe; stretched rhymes are not.
The definition applies to the answer you write in the grid, not to the word you hear in your head.
Homophone indicators
The answer sounds like the neighbouring fodder, but is spelled differently.
| Indicator | Sense |
|---|---|
| we hear / heard / said / spoken | Audible synonym |
| reportedly / announced / mentioned | Reported speech |
| on the radio / by the sound of it / to the ear | Broadcast or listening |
| audibly / orally / pronounced / sound | Explicit soundalike |
Things to watch
- Indicators: say, said, heard, reportedly, on the radio, aloud.
- Check which side is the definition; only one word goes in the grid.
- If two spellings both fit the checkers, prefer the one the definition demands.
Worked example
Pair we hear fruit (4)