Hone and Home In Are Often Confused
To hone is to sharpen. The phrase people often want is home in, not hone in.
To hone is to sharpen a blade on a fine stone, and by extension to refine a skill. *Hone in on* is a common variant of *home in on*, which came from homing pigeons and then from guided missiles homing on a target. The original is *home*; *hone* arose by mishearing and is now widespread enough that some dictionaries record it, though careful writers avoid it. Honing and sharpening differ: sharpening removes metal, honing merely straightens the edge.
- To sharpen. *Hone the blade.*
- To refine. *Hone your skills.*
- A sharpening stone. *A hone.*
- Home in on — the correct phrase. *Home in.*
- Old English — *han*, a stone. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | hone | Honing. |
| Noun | hone | A hone. |
| Past | honed | Honed. |
| Adjective | honed | Finely honed. |
| Old English | han | A stone. |
- He honed the knife carefully.Sharpening.
- She honed her technique.Skill.
- The missile homed in.Correct phrase.
Honing against sharpening
- Sharpening grinds metal away to form a new edge
- Honing realigns an edge that has rolled over
- A steel hones rather than sharpens, despite the name
- Frequent honing delays the need for sharpening
- Both are needed over a blade's life
Old English *han*, a stone, of Germanic origin, related to Old Norse *hein*, a whetstone.
Is it hone in or home in?
Home in is the original, from homing pigeons and guided missiles. Hone in arose by mishearing, though it is now common.
What is the difference between honing and sharpening?
Sharpening removes metal to form a new edge. Honing realigns an edge that has rolled over during use.