Learn about the difference between the homophones: flow and floe

Definitions

flow

Flow is a verb that means to move along in a steady, continuous stream or current. It can also be used as a noun to refer to the action or motion of something that flows.

Example

The river flowed gently towards the sea.

Example

The flow of traffic was heavy during rush hour.

floe

Floe is a noun that refers to a large, flat piece of ice floating in the sea. It can also be used to describe a mass of floating ice.

Example

The ship was blocked by a floe of ice.

Example

We saw several large floes of ice while on our Arctic expedition.

Tips To Remember the Differences

Here are a few tips to easily distinguish the difference between these words while keeping in mind the description we've provided:

- To remember the difference between flow and floe, think of the letter 'W' in flow as representing water, which is something that flows. - For floe, think of the letter 'E' as representing ice, which is something that can form into a floe.