Homonym

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Homonym

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

noun

Pronunciation

HOM-uh-nim  /ˈhɒmənɪm/

Definition

A word that has the same spelling and/or pronunciation as another word but a different meaning and origin. Homonyms may be homophones (same sound, different spelling and meaning), homographs (same spelling, different meaning and possibly different pronunciation), or perfect homonyms (same spelling and pronunciation, different meaning).

Plain meaning

A homonym is a word that sounds or looks the same as another word but means something different. 'Bank' (financial institution) and 'bank' (riverbank) are homonyms — same spelling, same pronunciation, completely different meanings. So are 'bear' (the animal) and 'bare' (uncovered), which sound the same but are spelled differently.

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Linguistic and educational. Homonym is standard vocabulary in grammar, linguistics, language teaching, and lexicography. Everyday speakers use the term informally to refer to any words that sound the same, regardless of spelling — a use that technically blurs the homonym-homophone distinction.