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Post by Dave on May 3, 2009 23:53:55 GMT
We use homonym or homophone for words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings: - there, their, they're
- bore, bore
- here, hear
- air, heir
- etc.,
but is there a word for words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently and have different meanings? - Using my bow, I shot the arrow over the ship's bow.
- I'll wind up the rope before the sail catches the wind.
- The sewer dropped his needle down the sewer.
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Post by Alan Palmer on May 4, 2009 10:28:34 GMT
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Post by Dave on May 4, 2009 14:50:33 GMT
Thanks, Alan. My Webster's leaves out the "different pronunciation" part: homograph a word with the same spelling as another but with a different meaning and origin (Ex.: bow, the front part of a ship, bow, to bend)
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Post by Alan Palmer on May 4, 2009 16:10:49 GMT
Perhaps heteronym might be better for that. From Wikipedia:
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