heteronym

n.
One of two or more words that have identical spellings but different meanings and pronunciations, such as row (a series of objects arranged in a line), pronounced (rō), and row (a fight), pronounced (rou).

[Back-formation from HETERONYMOUS.]

(HET-uhr-uh-nim)

noun
A word that has the same spelling as another word but with a different pronunciation and meaning.

Usage
In the following poem, each end-word is heteronymic: Listen, readers, toward me bow. Be friendly; do not draw the bow. Please don't try to start a row. Sit peacefully, all in a row. Don't act like a big, fat sow. Do not the seeds of discord sow. In a pure heteronymic pair, the two words must be etymologically unrelated, as in bass, buffet, deserts, dove, entrance, lead, moped, unionized, wind, and wound.

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See Homonym

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: two words are heteronyms if they are spelled the same way but differ in pronunciation (e.g. `bow')

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