Examples of heteronyms in English
| Spelling | Pronun. | PoS | Meaning |
| abstract | / ˈæbstrækt / | adj. | existing in thought or as an idea but no ... |
| abstract | / æbˈstrækt / | v. | consider (something) theoretically or se ... |
| abuse | / əˈbjuːs / | n. | improper treatment |
| abuse | / əˈbjuːz / | v. | to use improperly |
What are heteronyms and why are they different?
To repeat, heteronyms are specific homographs. The differences in pronunciation are associated with different definitions or meanings. In a significant number of cases in the English language, heteronyms are a noun-verb pair, and the words are pronounced differently.
What are heteronyms in French?
In French, most heteronyms result from certain endings being pronounced differently in verbs and nouns. In particular, -entas a third person plural verb ending is silent while as an adjective ending, it is pronounced IPA: [ɑ̃]. Examples of heteronyms in French Spelling Pronun.
What are homonyms and examples?
Homonyms are words that sound alike but have different spellings. A classic example, which haunts grammar teachers and copy editors to this day, can be found in the words 'their,' 'they're,' and 'there.' Still, homonyms aren't the only tricky words to look out for.
Is there any overlap between homographs and heteronyms?
There is overlap among these categories. Heteronyms are specific types of homographs in which the different pronunciations are associated with different meanings. Many heteronyms are the result of one pronunciation being a verb and another being a noun. Our lists of heteronyms are shown below.
What is an example of a heteronym?
What is the heteronym of a sidewalk?
When you're reading, do you have to infer from the context of the text or the position of the word?
Is dust a homonym or a verb?
Is tear a homophone or homophone?
Is "heteronym" an adjective?
See more
What are 20 examples of heteronyms?
List 1: bass, live, present, read, tear, bass, present, read, tear, live. List 2: bow, lead, produce, record, wind, lead, produce, record, wind, bow. List 3: close, Mobile, progress, refill, use, close, mobile, progress, refill, use.
What are 5 examples of heteronyms?
EnglishSpellingPronun.PoSlaminate/ˈlæmɪnət/n.lead/ˈliːd/v./ˈlɛd/n.learned/ˈlɜːrnɪd/adj.119 more rows
What is a heteronym sentence example?
Heteronyms are words spelled identically but with different meanings and pronunciations....Here are ten examples:I wound a bandage around my wound.The chair was so close to the door we couldn't close it.Don't just give the gift; present the present.
What are some examples of Heterophones?
Heterophone (also known as a heteronym): a word that has the same spelling as another word, but a different meaning and different pronunciation (hetero:different, phone: sound) Some common heterophone examples are: insult, direct, produce, etc…
What's the difference between homonyms and heteronyms?
Homographs: homonyms that share the same spelling. They may or may not have the same pronunciation. Heteronyms: those are homonyms that share the same spelling but have different pronunciations.
Are read and read heteronyms?
Read and read are two words that are spelled identically but are pronounced differently and have different meanings, which makes them heteronyms. These word pairs are often misused words.
Why is House a Heteronym?
House and house are two words that are spelled identically but are pronounced differently and have different meanings, which makes them heteronyms.
How do you teach heteronyms?
Have students read the sentences to themselves. Then ask a student to read aloud the first sentence. Ask the student to explain how the heteronyms in each sentence are pronounced and what they mean. Invite others to help out where needed.
What is a Heteronym in English?
Definition of heteronym : one of two or more homographs (such as a bass voice and bass, a fish) that differ in pronunciation and meaning.
Is minute a Heteronym?
Minute and minute are two words that are spelled identically but are pronounced differently and have different meanings, which makes them heteronyms.
Do other languages have heteronyms?
In many non-alphabetic writing systems, such as those of Chinese and Japanese, heterographs are quite common. These languages also have heteronyms (here's a Reddit post with a list of some Mandarin Chinese heteronyms.)
What are some examples of homonyms?
Homonym Examples A simple example of a homonym is the word pen. This can mean both "a holding area for animals" and "a writing instrument." Another example is book, which can mean "something to read" or "the act of making a reservation." In both cases, the sound and spelling are the same; only the definition changes.
What is a heteronym?
In phonology and grammar, heteronyms are words that are spelt the same, but have different meanings and different pronunciations. Two words can be homographs, but not homophones. For example, “row” (use oars) and “row” (argument) are heteronyms because they employ different sounds, while “mean” (signify) and “mean” ...
Is a heteronym a noun?
The differences in pronunciation are associated with different definitions or meanings. In a significant number of cases in the English language, heteronyms are a noun-verb pair, and the words are pronounced differently.
Is a homophone a heteronym?
There are instances of three different words being heteronyms, but this is relatively rare. Homophones are words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings or spelling. To repeat, heteronyms are specific homographs. The differences in pronunciation are associated with different definitions or meanings.
What is a heteronym?
Heteronyms are words that are spelled identically but have different meanings when pronounced differently . For example: Lead, pronounced LEED, means to guide. However, lead, pronounced LED, means a metallic element. Compare heteronyms to homographs, homophones, and homonyms. Homographs are words that are spelled the same but differ in meaning, ...
What is the difference between homophones and homophones?
Homophones are words that are pronounced the same but differ in meaning, derivation, or spelling. Homonyms are words that are spelled and pronounced the same but have different meanings. There is overlap among these categories.
Is heteronym a homograph?
There is overlap among these categories. Heteronyms are specific types of homographs in which the different pronunciations are associated with different meanings. Many heteronyms are the result of one pronunciation being a verb and another being a noun. Our lists of heteronyms are shown below.
Definition of a Heteronym
Chances are you've come across the word ' homonym ' in your studies. Homonyms are words that sound alike but have different spellings. A classic example, which haunts grammar teachers and copy editors to this day, can be found in the words 'their,' 'they're,' and 'there.' Still, homonyms aren't the only tricky words to look out for.
Examples of Heteronyms
Now that we've defined what a heteronym is, let's look at a common example of one. Consider the sentence, 'Jane read the book.'
What is a heteronym?
As discussed before, a heteronym is a world that has the same spelling but has different meanings based on pronunciation.
Is "tear" a heteronym?
We use the word “tear”so much that we don’t even realize that it’s a heteronym, and can have two meanings . We don’t even have to look at a dictionary to know what it means.
Can two words have the same spelling?
In these examples based on the heteronym definition, we learned that two words can have the same spelling but have completely different meanings. As you can see, heteronyms are everywherein the English language, in the dictionary, and even in everyday speech!
What is a heterophone?
A heteronym (also known as a heterophone) is a word that has a different pronunciation and meaning from another word but the same spelling. These are homographs that are not homophones. Thus, lead (the metal) and lead (a leash) are heteronyms, but mean (intend) and mean (average) are not, since they are pronounced the same.
Is Oregon a heteronym?
Proper nouns can sometimes be heteronyms. For example, the final syllable of Oregon is pronounced like the word in by residents of that state in the United States, while in the name of the village of Oregon in Wisconsin, the final syllable is pronounced like the word on. Other examples include local pronunciations of Cairo, Georgia; Versailles, Kentucky; and Milan, Tennessee —compared to the more well-known Cairo, Versailles, and Milan —or the difference between the pronunciation of Louisville, Kentucky ( / ˈluːəvəl /) and the town of Louisville, New York ( / ˈluːɪsvɪl / ).
What is an example of a heteronym?
Example of heteronym: I present (give) this present (gift) to you.
What is the heteronym of a sidewalk?
In literature, the term heteronym sometimes refers to a writer's creative alter ego or persona. This usage was introduced by Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa (1888–1935).
When you're reading, do you have to infer from the context of the text or the position of the word?
When you're reading you just have to infer from the context of the text or the position of the word in the sentence (Is it being used as a verb or noun?) to understand which word is meant.
Is dust a homonym or a verb?
Compare the above examples to the word dust . Dust would not be a heteronym. It functions as a verb and a noun, but it's pronounced the same way in both usages. Heteronyms are not the same as homonyms, which have the same sound and spelling but different meanings.
Is tear a homophone or homophone?
Levin add, "Heteronyms are homographs that are not pronounced the same. The words tear (water in the eye) and tear (to rip) are heteronyms. Notice that the words homonym, homograph, homophone, and heteronym have overlapping meanings." ("A Concise Introduction to Linguistics," 4th ed. Routledge, 2016). Compare the above examples to the word dust . Dust would not be a heteronym. It functions as a verb and a noun, but it's pronounced the same way in both usages.
Is "heteronym" an adjective?
If using the term as an adjective, you would say the words are heteronymous . In some fields of linguistics, the term heteronym refers to locally different words (or regionalisms) for certain more widely used words in the language.
