More than an exercise in homophonous humor, "Candidate for a Pullet Surprise" endures as a cautionary tale for all those who place too much trust in spell checkers.
1. Rewrite this poem with appropriate homophones.
Candidate for a Pullet Surprise
by Mark Eckman and Jerrold H. Zar
I have a spelling checker,
It came with my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.
Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished in it's weigh.
My checker tolled me sew.
A checker is a bless sing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when eye rime.
Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.
Bee fore a veiling checker's
Hour spelling mite decline,
And if we're lacks oar have a laps,
We wood bee maid too wine.
Butt now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
Their are know fault's with in my cite,
Of nun eye am a wear.
Now spelling does knot phase me,
It does knot bring a tier.
My pay purrs awl due glad den
With wrapped word's fare as hear.
To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should bee proud,
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaw's are knot aloud.
Sow ewe can sea why aye dew prays
Such soft wear four pea seas,
And why eye brake in two averse
Buy righting want too pleas.
2. Select the word that completes the sentence.
1. She wanted to effect/affect the students in a way they'd never forget.
2. He stood outside in the rain completely bear/bare.
3. He used the brake/break to stop quickly.
4. There are two prisoners per cell/sell in that prison.
5. The scent/cent/sent in the air is fabulous!
6. The full payment is dew/due by the end of the month.
7. We took the ferry/fairy to Sardinia last summer.
8. He was fined/find $50 for illegal parking.
9. The X gene/jean is responsible for eye colour.
10. We had a marry/merry time at the pub.
11. She was the soul/sole person to understand him.
12. I don't know whether/weather he will come or not.