Homonyms
Homonyms are two or more words that have the
same sound or spelling but differ in meaning.
Adjectives: homonymic and homonymous.
Generally,
the term homonym refers both to homophones (words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings,
such as pair and pear) and to homographs (words that are spelled the same but
have different meanings, such as "bow your head" and
"tied in a bow").
Note that some dictionaries and textbooks define and distinguish these three terms in different ways. Some equate homonyms only with homophones (words that sound the same).
Expect the Unexpected!
Don't
be afraid, but be wary: homonyms lurk all over the English language. It's as if
they are there to confuse people. Luckily, the confusion results in a plethora
of surprises and funny situations. Most jokes hinge on confusion since people
find the unexpected exhilarating and entertaining. If you can get a couple
examples of homonyms into your active vocabulary, you'll be the life of the
party, and everyone will love to speak with you.
Keep an Eye Out for Worthy Homonyms
Not
all homonyms are created equal, and not every example will render desired
results. Indeed, your miles may vary with every homonym pair. Start listening
to people and how people's statements can be interpreted differently from how
they intended. Also, there are great spots online to find out more about
homonyms.
Here
are a few examples of homonym pairs provided by Weber State University and Alan Cooper's Homonyms that you will frequently encounter:
- Accept (to
receive) and Except (excluding)
- Acts (things
done) and Ax (chopping tool)
- Ad
(advertisement) and Add (short for addition)
- Affect (to
influence) and Effect (result)
- Aid (to assist)
and Aide (an assistant)
- Air (stuff we
breath) and Heir (one who will inherit)
- Aisle (walkway)
and Isle (island)
- Allusion (an
indirect reference) and Illusion (a misconception)
- Ant (insect) and
Aunt (parent's sister)
- Bald (hairless)
and Bawled (cried aloud)
- Band (a group)
and Banned (forbidden)
- Capital (city)
and Capitol (wealth and resources)
- Climactic (great
intensity) and Climatic (weather conditions)
- Days (more than
one day) and Daze (to bewilder)
- Die (to become
dead) and Dye (coloring agent)
- Elicit (to bring
out) and Illicit (unlawful)
- Emigrate from
(leave one country) and Immigrate to (enter another country)
- Fair (even-handed)
and Fare (payment)
- Fairy (imaginary
magic person) and Ferry (river-crossing boat)
- Gilt
(gold-plated) and Guilt (did wrong)
- Gorilla (large
ape) and Guerrilla (military soldier)
- Knead (working
bread dough) and Need (must have)
- Mail (postal
delivery) and Male (masculine person)
- Principle (a
basic truth) and Principal (head of a school/sum of money)
- Scene (visual
location) and Seen (past tense of saw)
- Than (a
comparison) and then (shows time)
- There (a place)
and Their (belongs to them) and They're (they are)
- To (a
preposition) and Too (an adverb) and Two (a number)
- Your (possessive
pronoun) and You're (you are)
Although
included in the above list from Weber State University, several of these words
are not technically homonyms. They are spelled the same and have different
meanings; but, they don't sound the same if pronounced correctly:
- Accept and
except
- Affect and
effect
- Than and then
- Elicit and
illicit
- Emigrate and immigrate
Be Brave
Homonyms
are pretty easy if you're paying attention. Remain vigilant,
and you will quickly earn your black belt and become the envy of everyone you
meet.
References:
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