Monday, October 5, 2009

Heteronyms 2

The words homograph, homogram, homophone, homonym, and heteronym are frequently confused, sometimes even by permissive dictionaries eager to reflect common usage rather than proper meaning. Homograph and homogram, which are synonyms, refer to words that are spelled the same but differ in meaning, derivation, or pronunication. Homophones are words that are pronounced the same but differ in meaning, derivation, or spelling. Homonyms are words that are both homographs and homophones: words that are spelled and pronounced the same but differ in meaning or derivation.

Heteronyms are a type of homograph. They are words that are spelled the same but differ in meaning and pronunciation. All heteronyms are also homographs, but not all homographs are heteronyms. Many heteronyms are similar in meaning (especially a related noun and verb are spelled the same but pronounced differently), while others are wholly unrelated.

Here is a list of some of the most common heteronyms in the English language:
affect - (ah-FECT) to change; (AF-fect) feeling or emotion
alternate - (ALT-er-nit) another choice; (ALT-er-NAIT) switch back and forth
appropriate - (ap-PROPE-ri-ATE) to take possession of; (ap-PROPE-ri-it) suitable
are - (AIR) 100 square meters (a hundredth of a hectare); (AHR) plural present tense of "to be"
arithmetic - (a-RITH-me-tic) a branch of mathematics; (AIR-ith-MET-ic) characteristic of arithmetic
attribute - (at-TRIB-ute) to ascribe; (AT-trib-ute) characteristic
axes - (AX-ez) plural of axe; (AX-eez) plural of axis
bass - (BASE) a stringed instrument; (BASS) a fish
bow - (rhymes with "how") to incline the head in greeting; also, front of a ship; (rhymes with "tow") weapon that shoots arrows
bowed - (rhymes with "how'd") inclined the head in greeting; (rhymes with "towed") bent
buffet - (BUF-fet) to hit; (buf-FAY, boof-FAY) a meal at which guests serve themselves from dishes on display
close - (CLOZE) to shut; (CLOHSS) nearby
combine - (COM-bine) threshing machine; (com-BINE) put together
conduct - (CON-duct) behavior; (con-DUCT) to direct or manage
conflict - (CON-flict) disagreement or fight; (con-FLICT) to be in opposition
console - (CON-sole) upright case; also, computer terminal; (con-SOLE) to comfort
consort - (CON-sort) companiobn or partner; (con-SORT) to keep company
construct - (CON-struct) something constructed; (con-STRUCT) to assemble
content - (CON-tent) substantive part; (con-TENT) satisfied
contest - (CON-test) competition; (con-TEST) to dispute
contract - (CON-tract) agreement; (con-TRACT) to shrink or to agree on a project
convert - (CON-vert) one whose belief was changed; (con-VERT) to change one's belief
converse - (CON-verse) opposite; (con-VERSE) to talk
convict - (CON-vict) prisoner; (con-VICT) to find guilty
crooked - (CROOKD) bended; (CROOK-ed) bent
deliberate - (de-LIB-er-ate) carefully considered; (de-lib-er-ATE) to consider
desert - (DES-ert) arid region; (de-SERT) to leave; also, something deserved
digest - (DIE-jest) collection of published material; (die-JEST) absorb nutrients
do - (DOO) to accomplish; (DOE) musical note
does - (DUZ) performs; (DOZE) multiple female deer
dove - (rhymes with "love") a bird; (rhymes with "hove") jumped off
drawer - (DROR) compartment that is opened by pulling out; (DRAW-er) one who draws
ellipses - (ee-LIP-sez) plural of ellipse; (ee-LIP-seez) plural of ellipsis
entrance - (EN-trance) entry way; (en-TRANCE) to captivate
evening - (EVE-ning) the time of day between afternoon and night; (EVE-en-ing) making even
excuse - (EX-cuze) to let someone off; (ex-KYEWSS) justifying explanation
house - (HOWSS) building that serves as living quarters; (HOWZ) to provide with living quarters
incense - (IN-cense) substance that produces a pleasant aroma when burned; (in-CENSE) to anger
intern - (IN-tern) a worker in training; (in-TERN) confine to a prescribed area
invalid - (IN-val-id) someone who is sick or disabled; (in-VAL-id) not valid
laminate - (LAM-in-it) a layered construct; (LAM-in-ATE) to construct by layering
lather - (hard "th") foam or suds; (soft "th") one who installs lath (lattice)
lead - (LEED) to guide; (LED) a metallic element
minute - (MIN-it) sixty seconds; (my-NOOT) tiny
moderate - (MOD-er-it) not excessive or extreme; (mod-er-ATE) to preside over
mow - (rhymes with "cow") pile of hay stored in a barn; (rhymes with "tow") to cut grass
multiply - (MULT-i-PLY) to perform the mathematical operation of multiplication on; (MULT-i-plee) in a multiple manner
number - (NUM-ber) a discrete value or quantity; (NUM-mer) more numb
nun - (NUN) women in a religious order; (NOON) the fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet
object - (OB-ject) thing; (ob-JECT) to protest
overhead - (OVE-er-head) operating expenses; also, an overhead projector; (ov-er-HEAD) high; above the level of the head
pasty - (PAY-stee) like glue; (PASS-tee) meat pie
pate - (PATE) top of the head; (PAT) porcelain paste; (pa-TAY) a minced food
perfect - (PER-fect) flawless; (per-FECT) to make flawless
periodic - (PEER-ee-ODD-ic) occasional; (PURE-eye-ODD-ic) an iodine compound
permit - (PER-mit) document giving permission; (per-MIT) to allow
present - (PREZ-ent) gift; (pre-ZENT) to introduce
primer - (PRIHM-er) elementary book; (PRY-mer) undercoat of paint
produce - (PRO-duce) vegetables; (pro-DUCE) bring forth
project - (PRO-ject) task; (pro-JECT) to forecast; also, to show a movie
protest - (PRO-test) an objection; (pro-TEST) to object
pussy - (PUHS-ee) having pus; (POOH-see) kitten
raven - (RAY-ven) a black bird; (RAV-en) hungry
rebel - (REB-el) one who refuses allegiance or opposes (re-BEL) to refuse allegiance or oppose
record - (REC-ord) a documented account; (re-CORD) to set down to preserve
recreation - (REC-ree-A-shun) entertaining or relaxing pastime; (REE-cree-A-shun) something that is remade, recreated
refuse - (REF-yoos) garbage; (ref-YOOZ) to deny
relay - (REE-lay) a race in which members of a team take turns racing; (ree-LAY) to lay again; (rih-LAY) to pass along
repeat - (RE-peat) repeated television show; (re-PEAT) to perform again
rerun - (RE-run) repeated television show; (re-RUN) to run again
resign - (re-ZINE) to quit; (re-SIGN) to sign again
resume - (ree-ZOOM) to restart; (REH-zoom-ay) document of professional experience
row - (rhymes with "cow") a fight; (rhymes with "tow") a series of objects; also, to propel a boat with oars
sake - (SAKE) purpose; (SAH-kee) alcoholic drink
secreted - (SEE-cret-ed) placed out of sight; (see-CREET-ed) emitted
separate - (SEP-ar-ATE) to set apart; (SEP-ret) not joined together
sewer - (SOE-wer) one who sews; (SOO-wer) channel for human waste
slough - (rhymes with "tough") outer layer or covering that is shed; (rhymes with "cow") a hole filled with deep mud or mire; (rhymes with "through") a marsh
sow - (rhymes with "cow") a pig; (rhymes with "tow") to plant seed
subject - (SUB-ject) the theme; also, one ruled by another; (sub-JECT) to force upon
suspect - (SUS-pect) one suspected of a crime; (sus-PECT) to have suspicion
tear - (TARE) to rip; (TEER) a drop of the clear liquid emitted by the eye
unionized - (YOON-yon-ized) belonging to a union; (un-I-on-ized) not converted into ions
wind - (rhymes with "find") to coil up; (WINNED) moving air
wound - (WOOND) to injure; (WOWND) coiled up

Sometimes a word changes meaning and pronunciation based on whether the first letter is capitalized or not. Since the only difference in the way the words are written is capitalization, these words are also heteronyms:
Ares - (AIRS, lower case) multiple units of 100 square meters; (AIR-eez, capitalized) the Greek god of war
August - (au-GUST, lower case) important; (AU-gust, capitalized) the eighth month of the year
Embarrass - (em-BAR-rass, lower case) mortify; (AUM-bro, capitalized) a river in eastern Illinois
Ewe - (YOO, lower case) a female sheep; (AY-way, capitalized) a member of a people inhabiting southeast Ghana, southern Togo, and southern Benin.
Job - (JOBB, lower case) task or position of employment; (JOBE, capitalized) the author of one of the books of the Bible
Lima - (LIE-ma, lower case) a type of bean; (LEE-ma, capitalized) the capital of Peru
Magdalen - (MAG-da-len, lower case) a reformed prostitute; (MAUD-len) a college in Oxford
Male - (MAIL, lower case) of, relating to, or designating the sex that has organs to produce spermatozoa for fertilizing ova; (MAH-lee, capitalized) the capital of the Maldives
Natal - (NATE-al, lower case) relating to one's birth; (na-TAHL, capitalized) a region of southeast Africa; also, a city in northeast Brazil
Nice - (NICE, lower case) pleasant; (NEECE, capitalized) a city in France
Polish - (PALL-ish, lower case) shine; (POE-lish, capitalized) from Poland
Rainier - (RANE-ee-er, lower case) more rainy; (ray-NEER, capitalized) a volcanic peak in Washington
Reading - (REED-ing, lower case) observing and comprehending written words; (RED-ing, capitalized) a borough in south-central England
Worms - (WERMS, lower case) plural of worm; (VORMS, capitalized) a city in southwest Germany

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