Cent, Scent, and Sent

The words cent, scent, and sent are homophones: they sound alike but have different meanings.

The noun cent refers to a coin equal to the hundredth part of a dollar: a penny.

As both a noun and a verb, scent refers to an odor or the sense of smell.

Sent is the past and past-participle form of the verb to send.

Examples

• Texas oil was hardly worth a cent a barrel until Standard Oil discovered a way to refine it.​
• "No man can taste the fruits of autumn while he is delighting his scent with the flowers of spring." (Samuel Johnson)​
• After two weeks in the hospital, the patient was sent home.

Practice Exercises

(a) I _____ my aunt a thank-you note and some flowers.

(b) I paid my daughter one _____ for each dandelion she pulled out of the lawn.

(c) The _____ of roses filled the cool morning air.

Answers to Practice Exercises

Answers to Practice Exercises: Cent, Scent, and Sent

(a) I sent my aunt a thank-you note and some flowers.

(b) I paid my daughter one cent for each dandelion she pulled out of the lawn.

(c) The scent of roses filled the cool morning air.

Glossary of Usage: Index of Commonly Confused Words