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In linguistics, heteronyms (also known as heterophones) are words with identical spellings (or characters) but different pronunciations and meanings. They may vary in vowel realisation or in stress patterns, or both. Heteronyms are homographs which differ in pronunciation, and are therefore not homophones. For example, the homographs desert (abandon) and desert (arid region) are heteronyms, but mean (intend) and mean (average) are not. Most heteronyms are doubles. Triple heteronyms are extremely rare; an example, sin, is listed below. There are also heteronyms for some proper nouns. For example, the final syllable of Oregon is pronounced like the word in by residents of that state in the USA, while in the name of the village Oregon in Wisconsin, the final syllable is pronounced like the word on. There are also pairs which include both initialisms and typical words, e.g., "US" and "us". Note that many of these pairs can be analyzed as initial-stress-derived nouns. Heteronyms can also occur in languages that use symbols (such as Chinese). eg The Chinese character 行 can be pronounced háng meaning profession or xíng meaning OK.
"Heterophone" literally just means "different sound", and the term is sometimes applied to words that are just pronounced differently, irrespective of their spelling. Such a definition would obviously include virtually every pair of words in the language, so "heterophone" in this sense is normally restricted to instances where there is some particular reason to highlight the different sound. For example, puns normally involve homophones, but in the case of heterophonic (or imperfect) puns, the two words sound different, and yet similar enough for one to suggest the other (for example, mouth and mouse).
Some examples are:
- Do you know what a buck does to does?
- With every number I read, my mind gets number and number.
- After having a row, the couple went out on the river to row.
- I like to read. In fact, I read a book yesterday.
| Spelling | Pronun. | PoS | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| abuse | əˈbjuːs | n. | improper treatment |
| əˈbjuːz | v. | to use improperly | |
| advocate | ˈædvəkeɪt | v. | to argue for someone else |
| ˈædvəkɨt | n. | a person who speaks in support of something | |
| agape | əˈɡeɪp | adv. | open wide |
| ˈæɡəpiː | noun | asexual, spiritual love | |
| alternate | ˈɒltərnət ~ ælˈtɜrnət | adj. | other |
| ˈɒltərneɪt | v. | to take turns | |
| appropriate | əˈproʊpri.ət | adj. | suitable |
| əˈproʊpri.eɪt | v. | to set apart for | |
| attribute | ˈætrɨbjuːt | n. | a characteristic |
| əˈtrɪbjuːt | v. | to associate ownership | |
| axes | ˈæksiːz | n. | pl. of axis |
| ˈæksɨz | n. | pl. of axe | |
| bass | ˈbeɪs | n. | low in pitch |
| ˈbæs | n. | a fish | |
| blessed | ˈblɛsɨd | adj. | having divine aid |
| ˈblɛst | v. | past tense of bless | |
| bow | ˈboʊ | n. | a stringed weapon |
| ˈbaʊ | v. | to bend in respect | |
| n. | the front of a boat or ship | ||
| buffet | bəˈfeɪ ~ ˈbʊfeɪ | n. | sideboard meal |
| ˈbʌfɨt | v. | to strike | |
| close | ˈkloʊz | v. | to shut |
| ˈkloʊs | adj. | nearby | |
| compact | kəmˈpækt | v. | to compress |
| ˈkɒmpækt | adj. | small | |
| conduct | ˈkɒndəkt | n. | action |
| kənˈdʌkt | v. | to lead | |
| console | kənˈsoʊl | v. | provide comfort from grief |
| ˈkɒnsoʊl | n. | control unit | |
| content | ˈkɒntɨnt | n. | information |
| kənˈtɛnt | adj. | satisfied | |
| convict | kənˈvɪkt | v. | to find guilty |
| ˈkɒnvɪkt | n. | one convicted | |
| desert | ˈdɛzərt | n. | an arid region |
| dɨˈzɜrt | v. | to abandon | |
| does | ˈdoʊz | n. | pl. of doe |
| ˈdʌz | v. | form of do | |
| ˈduːz | n. | one spelling of the plural of do as a noun[citation needed] - e.g. hair does | |
| dove | ˈdʌv | n. | a bird |
| ˈdoʊv | v. | past tense of dive | |
| entrance | ˈɛntrəns | n. | doorway |
| εnˈtræns | v. | to delight | |
| house | ˈhaʊs | n. | a residential building |
| ˈhaʊz | v. | to place in residence | |
| intimate | ˈɪntɨmeɪt | v. | to suggest |
| ˈɪntɨmət | adj. | very close | |
| invalid | ɪnˈvælɨd | adj. | incorrect |
| ˈɪnvəlɨd | n. | a disabled person | |
| laminate | ˈlæmɨneɪt | v. | to assemble from thin sheets glued together |
| ˈlæmɨnɨt | n. | material formed of thin sheets glued together | |
| lead | ˈliːd | v. | to guide |
| ˈlɛd | n. | a metal | |
| learned | ˈlɜrnɨd | adj. | having much learning |
| ˈlɜrnd | v. | past tense of learn | |
| live | ˈlɪv | v. | to be alive |
| ˈlaɪv | adj. | having life | |
| minute | maɪˈnjuːt | adj. | small |
| ˈmɪnət | n. | unit of time | |
| moped | ˈmoʊpɛd | n. | a small motorcycle |
| ˈmoʊpt | v. | past tense of mope | |
| multiply | ˈmʌltɨplaɪ | v. | to increase |
| ˈmʌltɨpli | adv. | in multiple ways | |
| number | ˈnʌmbər | n. | a numeral |
| ˈnʌmər | adj. | more numb | |
| object | ˈɒbdʒɨkt | n. | a thing |
| əbˈdʒɛkt | v. | to protest | |
| polish | ˈpɒlɨʃ | v. | to shine |
| ˈpoʊlɨʃ | adj. | of, from, or native to Poland | |
| present | prɨˈzɛnt | v. | to reveal |
| ˈprɛzənt | n. | a gift | |
| primer | ˈprɪmər | n. | Book that covers the basic elements of a subject |
| ˈpraɪmər | n. | An undercoat of paint | |
| produce | prɵˈdjuːs | v. | to make |
| ˈproʊdjuːs | n. | fruit and vegetables | |
| project | ˈprɒdʒɨkt | n. | an undertaking |
| prɵˈdʒɛkt | v. | to cast an image | |
| putting | ˈpʊtɪŋ | v. | pr. part. of to put |
| ˈpʌtɪŋ | v. | pr. part. of to putt | |
| read | ˈriːd | v. | present tense |
| ˈrɛd | v. | past tense | |
| rebel | rɨˈbɛl | v. | to resist |
| ˈrɛbəl | n. | one who rebels | |
| record | ˈrɛkərd | n. | physical information |
| rɨˈkɔrd | v. | to make a record | |
| refuse | ˈrɛfjuːs | n. | garbage |
| rɨˈfjuːz | v. | to decline | |
| resign | rɨˈzaɪn | v. | to quit |
| riːˈsaɪn | v. | to sign again; re-sign | |
| resume | rɨˈzjuːm | v. | to start again |
| ˈrezj |
n. | curriculum vitae | |
| row | ˈroʊ | n.; v. | a line; to paddle a boat |
| ˈraʊ | n. | an argument | |
| sake | ˈseɪk | n. | benefit |
| ˈsɑːkiː | n. | rice wine | |
| sewer | ˈsjuːwər | n. | drainage pipes |
| ˈsoʊwər | n. | one who sews | |
| shower | ˈʃaʊ.ər | n. | precipitation |
| ˈʃoʊ.ər | n. | one who shows | |
| sin | ˈsɪn | n. | a moral error |
| ˈsaɪn | n. | abbrev. for sine | |
| ˈsiːn | n. | Sumerian god of the moon | |
| sow | ˈsoʊ | v. | to plant seeds |
| ˈsaʊ | n. | a female pig | |
| subject | ˈsʌbdʒɨkt | n. | a topic |
| səbˈdʒɛkt | v. | to cause to undergo | |
| tear | ˈtɪər | n. | liquid produced by crying |
| ˈtɛər | v. | to separate | |
| wicked | ˈwɪkɨd | adj. | bad, evil |
| ˈwɪkt | v. | past tense of wick (e.g. to wick away some liquid) | |
| wind | ˈwɪnd | n. | air movement |
| ˈwaɪnd | v. | to tighten a spring | |
| wound | ˈwaʊnd | v. | past tense of wind |
| ˈwuːnd | n. | an injury |
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