Homonyms, Homophones and Homographs: Vocabulary Building

Manik Joshi

Oct 2014 · English Word Power Book 3 · Manik Joshi

About this ebook

HOMONYMS

Homonym a word that is spelled like another word (or pronounced like it) but which has a different meaning, for example, Key meaning ‘set of answer to problems’ and Key meaning ‘button on computer keyboard’.

The state of being a homonym is called homonymy.

Very Important Note:

In Strict Sense, Homonyms have the same spelling, same pronunciation, and different meaning.

HOMONYMS in Strict Sense:

Same Spelling / Same Pronunciation / Different meaning

Homonyms are also known as “Multiple Meaning Words”.

Examples: fare, principal, etc.

Fare -- a passenger | Fare -- price

Principal -- most important | Principal -- head of a school

In Wider Sense, Homonyms can also include words that have the same or similar pronunciation (but different spelling) or the same spelling (but different pronunciation).

In the first situation, they are called ‘HOMOPHONES’

In the second situation, they are called ‘HOMOGRAPHS’

HOMONYMS In Wider Sense:

HOMOPHONES:

Different Spelling / Same or Similar Pronunciation / Different meaning

Note: ‘Homophones’ are also called ‘Heterographs’.

Homophones are also known as “Sound-Alike Words”.

Examples: ad/add, know/no, etc.

ad -- advertisement | add -- to include

know -- to have information | no -- refusal

HOMOGRAPHS:

Same Spelling / Different Pronunciation / Different meaning

Note: ‘Homographs’ are also called ‘Heterophones’.

Examples: bow, lead, etc.

Bow (noun) -- [Pronunciation -- boʊ] -- a weapon used for shooting arrows

Bow (verb) -- [Pronunciation -- baʊ] -- to move your head forwards and downwards

Lead (noun) -- [Pronunciation -- led] -- a metallic element

Lead (verb) -- [Pronunciation -- li:d] -- to go in front

100 HOMONYMS ALONG WITH THEIR MEANINGS:

Sample This:

01. Accident

1. Accident -- an event in which injury or damage is caused in or by a vehicle

2. Accident -- something that happens unexpectedly

02. Action

1. Action -- a legal process

2. Action -- fighting in a war

03. Alight

1. Alight -- on fire

2. Alight -- to get out of a vehicle

04. Angle

1. Angle -- inclination of two lines with each, measure in degrees

2. Angle -- to catch fish

05. Arch

1. Arch -- curve; semicircle

2. Arch -- mischievous

600 HOMOPHONE PAIRS ALONG WITH THEIR MEANINGS:

Sample This:

01. Abhorrent / Aberrant

1. Abhorrent -- causing hatred for moral reasons

2. Aberrant -- unusual and socially unacceptable

02. Accede / Exceed

1. Accede -- to agree

2. Exceed -- to surpass

03. Accept / Except

1. Accept -- to admit

2. Except -- apart from

04. Acclamation / Acclimation

1. Acclamation -- loud and enthusiastic welcome

2. Acclimation -- the process of getting used to a new climate or situation

05. Adapt / Adept / Adopt

1. Adapt -- to adjust or modify

2. Adept -- skillful

3. Adopt -- to become legal parents of somebody’s child

150 HOMOGRAPHS ALONG WITH THEIR MEANINGS:

Sample This:

01. Absent

1. Absent (adjective) -- not present

2. Absent (verb) -- to not be in a place

02. Abuse

1. Abuse (noun) -- misuse

2. Abuse (verb) -- to misuse something

03. Accent

1. Accent (noun) -- pronunciation

2. Accent (verb) -- to put emphasis on a part of something

04. Address

1. Address (noun) -- details of the place where you live or work; postal address

2. Address (verb) -- to make a formal speech

05. Advocate

1. Advocate (noun) -- a supporter of something

2. Advocate (verb) -- to support something publicly

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About the author

Manik Joshi was born on January 26, 1979, at Ranikhet, a picturesque town in the Kumaon region of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. He is a permanent resident of the Sheeshmahal area of Kathgodam located in the city of Haldwani in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand in India. He completed his schooling in four different schools. He is a science graduate in the ZBC – zoology, botany, and chemistry – subjects. He is also an MBA with a specialization in marketing. Additionally, he holds diplomas in “computer applications”, “multimedia and web-designing”, and “computer hardware and networking”. During his schooldays, he wanted to enter the field of medical science; however, after graduation, he shifted his focus to the field of management. After obtaining his MBA, he enrolled in a computer education center; he became so fascinated with working on the computer that he decided to develop his career in this field. Over the following years, he worked at some computer-related full-time jobs. Following that, he became interested in Internet Marketing, particularly in domaining (business of buying and selling domain names), web design (creating websites), and various other online jobs. However, later he shifted his focus solely to self-publishing. Manik is a nature-lover. He has always been fascinated by overcast skies. He is passionate about traveling and enjoys solo travel most of the time rather than traveling in groups. He is actually quite a loner who prefers to do his own thing. He likes to listen to music, particularly when he is working on the computer. Reading and writing are definitely his favorite pastimes, but he has no interest in sports. Manik has always dreamed of a prosperous life and prefers to live a life of luxury. He has a keen interest in politics because he believes it is politics that decides everything else. He feels a sense of gratification sharing his experiences and knowledge with the outside world. However, he is an introvert by nature and thus gives prominence to only a few people in his personal life. He is not a spiritual man, yet he actively seeks knowledge about the metaphysical world; he is particularly interested in learning about life beyond death. In addition to writing academic/informational text and fictional content, he also maintains a personal diary. He has always had a desire to stand out from the crowd. He does not believe in treading the beaten path and avoids copying someone else’s path to success. Two things he always refrains from are smoking and drinking; he is a teetotaler and very health-conscious. He usually wakes up before the sun rises. He starts his morning with meditation and exercise. Fitness is an integral and indispensable part of his life. He gets energized by solving complex problems. He loves himself the way he is and he loves the way he looks. He doesn’t believe in following fashion trends. He dresses according to what suits him and what he is comfortable in. He believes in taking calculated risks. His philosophy is to expect the best but prepare for the worst. According to him, you can’t succeed if you are unwilling to fail. For Manik, life is about learning from mistakes and figuring out how to move forward.