Half and halve are not homophones, but they sound similar and their meanings are closely related.
- either of two equal or corresponding parts that together make up a whole
- the fraction equal to one divided by two
“I cut the pear in half”
Halve:
- to divide something into two equal, or nearly equal, parts
- to reduce by half
“I halved the pear”
My tip is to try to remember that halve is a verb. This advice is slightly complicated by the plural form of half – “I cut the pears into halves” – but the context should help you determine which is appropriate.