The Novice Writer: Homonyms Explained!

Homonyms Explained!

I am sure you must have come across words that sound alike but have different meanings. For instance blue and blew. Often such words come in pairs. However, the largest group of such words used in English is a septuplet: "Raise, Rays, Rase, Raze, Rehs, Res, Reis"

Well, most of you may say that they are HOMONYMS!!

But there is a reason why I won't call them that. And that reason will be cleared once you read this post.

Homonym:

noun; plural: homonyms.

each of two or more words having the same spelling or pronunciation but different meanings and origins.

The word “homonym” comes from the prefix “homo,” which means the same, and the suffix “-nym,” which means name. Therefore, a homonym is a word that has the same name as another word, meaning that the two words look and sound exactly alike.

A simple example of a homonym is the word “pen.” This can mean both a holding area for animals and a writing instrument. Another example is “book,” which can mean something to read or the act of making a reservation. In both cases, the sound and spelling are the same, and only the definition changes.

Let's look at three ways in which two words can be similar! We can do this by having a simple Venn Diagram.

They can have the same meaning, they can be spelled the same, or they can be sound the same when spoken.

If two or more words mean the same thing, but are pronounced differently, and have different spellings then, we call them SYNONYMS. For instance, mnemonic and acronym; buy and purchased are synonyms - they mean nearly the same but probably have different connotations.

# FunFact: Is there a Synonym for synonym?

Not really, but there is a slightly outdated word that isn't used very often these days - POECILONYM.

Poecilonym:

noun; plural poecilonyms.

a word that means almost the same thing as another.

the various name for the same thing.

If two or more words mean the same and are spelled the same but aren't pronounced alike, we don't have a specific term for such words but we do have examples:

The (duh) -

The (thee) - used for emphasis, which tentatively gives it a different meaning.

They are the two ways of pronouncing English's only definite article.

So, the bottom line may be given to such words by saying that words that have been the prey to the way humans pronounce it depending on the ascent that we speak.

If two or more words mean the same and are pronounced the same but are spelled different, we call them SPELLING VARIANTS. For instance, barbecue and barbeque; diarrhoea and diarrhea.

If two words mean the same, spell the same and have the same pronunciation then, we call them IDENTICAL words.

If two or more words sound the same but have different meaning and are spelled differently then, we call them HETEROGRAPHS. For instance, blue and blew; tear and tear; to, too, and two.

If two or more words are spelled the same but have different sounds and meaning then, we call them HETEROPHONES. For instance, record and record;

If two or more words are spelled and pronounced the same but have a different meaning then, we call them HOMONYMS. For instance, bank and bank; skate and skate.

POLYSEMOUS means many meanings; if two different of a word share the same origin like the mouth of a river and the mouth of a human then they are polysemous. But if two words do not have a shared origin and still sound and look the same then their homonymy is quite special it is TRUE.

HETEROPHONES + HOMONYMS = HOMOGRAPHS HETEROGRAPHS + HOMONYMS = HOMOPHONES

Homophones, Homographs, and Homonyms: What’s the Difference?

These three terms are often confused, thanks to their identical prefixes. It’s the suffix that makes all the difference in this case, though. Let’s take a closer look:

Homophones

Homophones are words that sound alike, thanks to that all-important suffix “-phone,” which means sound. Homophones have the same sound but different meaning, and they are often spelled differently. For example, consider the word “plate” and “plait.” A plate is a dish for eating, but a plait is a special knot or twist, usually indicating something braided, like hair or rope. Homophones may or may not be spelled the same because the definition is really about the sound.

Other examples:

* mat/matte

* two/too

Homographs

Homographs are words that are spelled the same, as indicated by the suffix “-graph,” which means writing. Homographs have the same spelling but different meanings. For example, the words “tear” and “tear.” A tear can mean drops of water from the eyes; on the other hand, it can mean to rip paper into pieces. Either way, the spelling is the same. Homographs may or may not have different pronunciations because the definition is about the spelling and not the sound.

Other examples:

* bow (to bend at the waist)/bow (a piece of archery equipment)

* entrance (to hold one’s attention)/entrance (a doorway)

Homonyms

Homonyms have characteristics of both homophones and homographs. As we mentioned, they are words that are spelled alike (like homographs) and sound alike (like homophones). Homonyms are a special case, and they are best thought of as the center portion of a Venn diagram that shows the overlap between homophones in one half and homographs in the other.

Other examples:

* bear (an animal)/bear (to withstand or hold up)

* can (a metal container)/can (able to)

VISEMES are the words that have a different meaning, are spelled differently, and sound different yet they have a peculiar thing in common; they look same on the lips. They are the words that are difficult to distinguish when lip reading because the way your mouth and the tongue moves are similar. For instance, pet, bell, and men.

~Jay Mehta