Homophone: Difference between revisions
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A [[homophone]] is a word that sounds exactly like another. 'Meat', referring to | A [[homophone]] is a word that sounds exactly like another. 'Meat', referring to flesh, sounds exactly like 'meet', meaning 'come together'. | ||
When homophones have the same spelling, they are also [[homonyms]]: the [[modal verb]] 'will' as in 'will they ever come?' sounds and also looks exactly like the [[noun]] 'will' as in 'having a strong will' or 'last will and testament'. | |||
Words with the same spelling are called [[homographs]], but they are not all homophones: some have different pronunciations, and are [[heteronyms]], as for example the verb 'to tear', meaning 'to rip', and 'tear', as in 'tearful'.<ref>In the notation used at [[English spellings]], '''téar''' ''rip'' and '''têar''' ''cry'' (cf. '''tén''' and '''têen''')</ref> Thus homonyms are homophonic homographs. | |||
==Some examples in English== | |||
*C's/seas/sees/seise/seize | |||
Some words sound the same in some forms of speech but not others. For example: | |||
In most American speech: | |||
*balm/bomb | |||
In the speech of many Americans: | |||
*rider/writer | |||
In most of England: | |||
*awe/oar/or (emphatic pronunciation)/ore | |||
*pause/paws/pores/pours | |||
In various parts of England: | |||
*fin/thin/thing | |||
*hill/ill | |||
*paw/poor/pore/pour | |||
*put/putt | |||
*Shaw/shore/sure | |||
*tong/tongue | |||
==References== | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
Latest revision as of 06:46, 30 January 2012
A homophone is a word that sounds exactly like another. 'Meat', referring to flesh, sounds exactly like 'meet', meaning 'come together'.
When homophones have the same spelling, they are also homonyms: the modal verb 'will' as in 'will they ever come?' sounds and also looks exactly like the noun 'will' as in 'having a strong will' or 'last will and testament'.
Words with the same spelling are called homographs, but they are not all homophones: some have different pronunciations, and are heteronyms, as for example the verb 'to tear', meaning 'to rip', and 'tear', as in 'tearful'.[1] Thus homonyms are homophonic homographs.
Some examples in English
- C's/seas/sees/seise/seize
Some words sound the same in some forms of speech but not others. For example:
In most American speech:
- balm/bomb
In the speech of many Americans:
- rider/writer
In most of England:
- awe/oar/or (emphatic pronunciation)/ore
- pause/paws/pores/pours
In various parts of England:
- fin/thin/thing
- hill/ill
- paw/poor/pore/pour
- put/putt
- Shaw/shore/sure
- tong/tongue
References
- ↑ In the notation used at English spellings, téar rip and têar cry (cf. tén and têen)