Helper information
Homonymy
(1, 8, 15 September)
Several similar linguistic concepts are related to homonymy. These include:
Term
Meaning
Spelling
Pronunciation
Homonym
Different
Same
Same
Homograph
Different
Same
Same or different
Homophone
Different
Same or different
Same
Heteronym
Different
Same
Different
Heterograph
Different
Different
Same
Synonym
Same
Different
Different
•
Homonyms (literally "having the same name") in the strict sense, one of a group of words that share the same
spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings.
•
Homographs (literally "same writing") are usually defined as words that share the same spelling, regardless of
how they are pronounced.
If they are pronounced the same then they are also homophones (and homonyms) – for
example,bark (the sound of a dog) and bark (the skin of a tree).
If they are pronounced differently then they are also heteronyms – for example, bow (the front of a ship)
and bow (a ranged weapon).
•
Homophones (literally "same sound") are usually defined as words that share the same pronunciation,
regardless of how they are spelled.
If they are spelled the same then they are also homographs (and homonyms); Homographic examples
include rose (flower) and rose (past tense of rise).
If they are spelled differently then they are also heterographs (literally "different writing").
examples include to, too, two, and there, their, they’re.
•
Heteronyms (literally "different name") are the subset of homographs (words that share the same spelling) that
have different pronunciations (and meanings). Such words include desert (to abandon) and desert (arid
region); row (to argue or an argument) bow (the front of a ship) and bow (a ranged weapon) and row (as in to row
a boat or a row of seats - a pair of homophones)
(Heteronyms are also sometimes called heterophones (literally "different sound")
•
Heterograph (literally "different writing") are usually defined as words that share the same pronunciation, but with
different spelling and different meaning. examples include to, too, two, and there, their, they’re.
True homonyms Homonyms (literally "having the same name") in the strict sense, one of a group of words that
share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings.
In your groups, discuss the following words and find their different meanings.
Choose a word and act out (a funny) a situation to show the different meanings.
•
book
•
back
•
just
•
bank
•
key
•
bark
•
kind
•
base
•
lead
•
bat
•
learned
•
beam
•
left
•
block
•
letter
•
bow
•
light
•
box
•
lie/s/ing
•
can
•
line
•
cast
•
match
•
change
•
mole
•
chip
•
order
•
clear
•
park
•
cleave
•
pile
•
command
•
pitcher
•
crane
•
quarry
•
dear
•
right
•
deck
•
rock
•
down
•
rose
•
dust
•
routed/ing
•
evening
•
row
•
exact
•
seal
•
fawn
•
shower
•
fine
•
sign
•
fire
•
sink
•
foot
•
spring
•
forearm/forearms
•
square
•
glass
•
tear
•
grave/s
•
tie
•
groom
•
trip
•
gross
•
trunk
•
hood
•
wave
•
horn
•
watch
•
iron
•
wind
•
jam
•
yard
Homophones Words easy to confuse
(8 & 15 September)
•
Homophones (literally "same sound") are usually defined as words that share the same pronunciation,
regardless of how they are spelled.
(also can be called Homonyms)
ade – drink type, as in lemonade
aid – to help or assist
aide - assistant
affect - change
effect – result or consequence
aisle ‐ walkway I’ll – I will isle ‐ island allowed ‐ permitted aloud – out loud arc ‐ curve ark – Noah’s boat ate – chewed up and swallowed eight – number after seven bare ‐ uncovered bear – grizzly animal berry – fruit from a bush bury – to put underground base – bottom part bass – deep or low be – to exist bee – buzzing insect beach – sandy shore beech – type of tree beat ‐ to pound beet – type of edible plant berth – tie up birth – to be born bite ‐ nibble byte – 8 bits (computer data) blew – past of blow blue – color of ocean boar ‐ pig bore – not interesting bore ‐ to drill bough ‐ branch bow – bend or curtsy bow – front of a ship bow – a weapon with an arrow (homograph) buoy ‐ floater boy – young man brake – stop pedal break – smash bread – bakery food bred – form of breed broach ‐ mention brooch ‐ pin brows ‐ eyebrows browse – look around buy ‐ purchase by ‐ beside bye – short for goodbye cell – compartment sell ‐ vend cent – coin sent – did send scent ‐ smell cereal – breakfast food serial ‐ sequential Chile – country in South America chili – bean stew chilly – frosty chord – musical tone cord ‐ rope cite ‐ quote site ‐ location sight ‐ view close – opposite of open clothes ‐ clothing complement – enhance; go together compliment ‐ praise council ‐ committee counsel ‐ guidance creak ‐ squeak creek – stream of water crews ‐ gangs cruise – ride on a boat dear – expensive dear – darling deer – woodland animal dew – morning mist due ‐ payable die – cease to exist dye ‐ color doe – female dear dough – uncooked bread (slang = money – originating from bread) dual ‐ double duel ‐ battle ewe – female sheep you ‐ second‐person personal pronoun eye – sight organ I ‐ me fair ‐ equal fare ‐ price fairy – elflike creature with wings ferry ‐ boat feat – achievement feet – plural of foot fir – type of tree fur – animal hair flea – small biting insect flee ‐ run flew – did fly flu – illness flour – powdery, ground up grain flower – blooming plant for – on behalf of fore ‐ front four – one more than three forth ‐ onward fourth – number four knew – did know new – not old gorilla – big ape guerrilla ‐ warrior grease ‐ fat Greece – country in Europe groan ‐ moan grown – form of grow hair – head covering hare – rabbit‐like animal hall ‐ passageway haul ‐ tow halve – cut in two parts have ‐ possess hay – animal food hey – interjection to get attention heal ‐ mend heel – back of foot hi ‐ hello high – up far hoarse ‐ croaky horse – riding animal hole ‐ opening whole ‐ entire holey – full of holes holy ‐ divine wholly ‐ entirely hour – sixty minutes our – belonging to us knead ‐ massage need ‐ desire knight – feudal horseman night ‐ evening knot – tied rope not ‐ negative know – have knowledge no – opposite of yes lead – metal led ‐ was the leader lessen – make smaller lesson ‐ class loan ‐ lend lone ‐ solitary made – did make maid ‐ servant mail ‐ postage male – opposite of female marry – to wed merry – very happy meat – animal protein meet ‐ encounter none – not any nun – woman who takes special vows oar – boat paddle or ‐ otherwise ore ‐ mineral oh – expression of surprise or awe owe – be obligated one ‐ single won – did win pail ‐ bucket pale – not bright pain ‐ hurt pane – window glass peace ‐ calm piece ‐ segment peak – highest point peek ‐ glance plain ‐ ordinary plane – flight machine plane ‐ flat surface plane – tool used with wood pole ‐ post poll ‐ survey poor – not rich pour – make flow pray – implore God prey ‐ quarry principal – most important principle ‐ belief rain – water from sky rein ‐ bridle rap ‐ tap wrap – drape around real ‐ factual reel ‐ roll right – correct; not left write ‐ scribble ring ‐ encircle wring ‐ squeeze role ‐ function roll ‐ rotate rose ‐ flower rows ‐ lines sail – move by wind power sale – bargain price scene ‐ landscape seen ‐ viewed sea – ocean segment see – observe with eyes seam – joining edge seem ‐ appear sew – connect with thread so – as a result sow ‐ plant soar ‐ ascend sore – hurt place sole ‐ single soul ‐ essence some – a few sum ‐ amount steal ‐ swipe steel ‐ alloy tail – animal’s appendage tale ‐ story their – belonging to them there – at that place they’re – they are to ‐ toward too – also two – 1 + 1 toe – foot appendage tow – pull along vary ‐ differ very ‐ much wail ‐ howl whale – huge swimming mammal waist – area below ribs waste ‐ squander wait – kill time weight – measurable load war ‐ battle wore – did wear warn ‐ caution worn ‐ used way ‐ path weigh – measure mass we ‐ us wee ‐ tiny weak – not strong week – period of seven days weather ‐ climate whether ‐ if which ‐ that witch – sorcerer your – belonging to you you’re – you are Some common homophones include:
ad/add
allowed/aloud
ant/aunt
ate/eight
ball/bawl
band/banned
bear/bare
be/bee
billed/build
blew/blue
board/bored
boy/buoy
brake/break
by/bye/buy
beach/beech
bolder/boulder
bread/bred
brouse/brows
capital/capitol
caret/carrot/carat/k
arat
cell/sell
cent/scent/sent
census/senses
cereal/serial
chews/choose
choral/coral
chute/shoot
clothes/close
colonel/kernel
creak/creek
crews/cruise
cymbal/symbol
days/daze
dear/deer
dew/do/due
die/dye
disc/disk
discreet/discrete
discussed/disgust
doe/dough
doughs/doze
earn/urn
ewe/you
eye/I
fare/fair
feat/feet
find/fined
fir/fur
flea/flee
flew/flu/flue
flower/flour
for/four/fore
forth/fourth
foul/fowl
frees/freeze
gneiss/nice
gnu/knew/ne
w
gored/gourd
gorilla/guerri
lla
grays/graze
grate/great
guessed/
guest
gym/Jim
hale/hail
hall/haul
hare/hair
heal/heel/he'l
l
heard/herd
hew/hue
hi/high
higher/hire
him/hymm
hair/hare
hoarse/horse
hole/whole
hour/our
idle/idol
idle/idol/idyl
in/inn
incite/insight
its/it's
jam/jamb
jeans/genes
knead/need/kne
ed
knight/night
knows/nose/no's
lead/led
leased/least
lessen/lesson
lie/lye
links/lynx
load/lode/lowed
loan/lone
locks/lox
loot/lute
maid/made
mail/male
maize/maze
meet/meat
medal/meddle
mince/mints
miner/minor
missed/mist
mooed/mood
morning/mourni
ng
muscle/mussel
mussed/must
nays/neighs
no/know
none/nun
nose/knows/no's
not/knot/naught
one/won
or/oar/ore
overdo/overdue
paced/paste
pail/pale
pain/pane
pair/pare/pear
pain/pane
passed/past
patience/patient
s
pause/paws
peace/piece
peak/peek/piqu
e
peal/peel
pedal/peddle
peer/pier
pi/pie
plain/plane
plum/plumb
praise/prays/pre
ys
presence/presen
ts
principal/princi
ple
prince/prints
quarts/quartz
quince/quints
rain/reign/rein
raise/rays/raze
rap/wrap
read/reed
read/red
real/reel
reek/wreak
rest/wrest
review/revue
right/rite/write
ring/wring
road/rode/rowe
d
roe/row
role/roll
root/route
rose/rows
rote/wrote
roux/rue
rye/wry
sacks/sax
sail/sale
sawed/sod
scene/seen
sea/see
seam/seem
seas/sees/seize
serf/surf
serge/surge
sew/so/sow
shoe/shoo
side/sighed
sighs/size
sign/sine
sight/site/cite
slay/sleigh
soar/sore
soared/sword
sole/soul
son/sun
some/sum
spade/spayed
staid/stayed
stair/stare
stake/steak
stationary/station
ery
steal/steel
straight/strait
suede/swayed
summary/
summery
sundae/Sunday
tacks/tax
tail/tale
taut/taught
tea/tee
teas/tease/tees
tents/tense
tern/turn
there/their/they're
threw/through
throne/thrown
thyme/time
tide/tied
tighten/titan
to/too/two
toad/toed/towe
d
toe/tow
told/tolled
tracked/tract
trussed/trust
use/ewes
vein/vane
verses/versus
vial/vile
vice/vise
wade/weighed
wail/whale
waist/waste
wait/weight
waive/wave
Wales/whales
war/wore
ware/wear/wh
ere
warn/worn
wax/whacks
way/weigh/wh
ey
we/wee
weather/wheth
er
we'd/weed
weld/welled
we'll/wheel
wen/when
we've/weave
weak/week
which/witch
whirled/world
whirred/word
whine/wine
whoa/woe
who's/whose
wood/would
worst/wurst
yoke/yolk
you'll/yule
your/you're/yo
re