homonym Definition
- 1each of two or more words having the same spelling or pronunciation but different meanings and origins
- 2a word that is spelled and pronounced like another word but has a different meaning
Using homonym: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "homonym" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The words 'flower' and 'flour' are homonyms.
Example
The words 'bear' (the animal) and 'bear' (to carry) are homonyms.
Example
The words 'right' (correct) and 'right' (opposite of left) are homonyms.
homonym Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with homonym
Example
The words 'mail' (post) and 'male' (man) are a homonym pair.
the quality of being a homonym
Example
Homonymy can cause confusion in communication.
a homonym that is spelled the same as another word but has a different meaning
Example
The words 'lead' (to guide) and 'lead' (a metal) are homographic homonyms.
Origins of homonym
from Greek 'homos' meaning 'same' and 'onuma' meaning 'name'
Summary: homonym in Brief
A 'homonym' [ˈhɑːmənɪm] is a word that has the same spelling or pronunciation as another word but has a different meaning. It can be a source of confusion in communication, as in the case of 'bear' (the animal) and 'bear' (to carry). Homonyms can be classified into homophone, which are words that sound the same but have different meanings, and homographs, which are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings.
