HOMONYMS — HOMOGRAPHS AND HOMOPHONES

Homonym is generally used to describe a word, which has the same spelling and

pronunciation as another, for example ‘the second row of seats in the cinema’ and

‘row the boat to shore’. The context tells us that row has two different meanings

If the words have the same spelling, but differ in pronunciation and meaning, they

are called homographs

For example

The Study English program was recorded before a live audience

live in this context is pronounced /laɪv/, and is an adjective describing

‘audience’ and means ‘is being recorded while the program is happening, and

broadcast at a later time’

If the words are pronounced the same, but differ in spelling and meaning, they are

called homophones

For example

Your concert tickets are in the mail.

Only male students participated in the survey.

 mail and male are pronounced the same /meɪl/, but mean two different

things, i.e. ‘the service that delivers letters’ and ‘the opposite of female’,

respectively