Homophones, homonyms, and homographs.
They perplex us, confuse us, and make our heads spin. Should you occur to thought learning learn to appropriately spell phrases that sound alike was troublesome, wait till you try to review the phrases for describing these phrases.
Homophones
Homophones are phrases which could be pronounced alike nonetheless have completely completely different meanings.
Some examples are accept and apart from, affect and influence, and triplets too and to and two, along with they’re and their and there.
Homophones may also verify with phrases which could be spelled and pronounced the equivalent nonetheless differ in which means — as an example lie (lie down) and lie (an untruth).
These phrases are a major provide of frustration for lots of writers, faculty college students, and professionals who battle to memorize variant spellings for phrases that sound alike nonetheless have completely completely different meanings. English teachers and completely different spelling perfectionists wince when homophones are written incorrectly.
Worst of all, spell take a look at obtained’t catch the error when incorrect homophones are used because of numerous spellings are respected.
Homonyms
To confuse points further, there are completely different phrases often known as homonyms, which are spelled and pronounced alike nonetheless have completely completely different meanings. Examples embrace phrases like stalk, which can verify with the stem of a plant (a stalk of corn), or the act pursuing or approaching prey (the cat will stalk the mouse).
One different occasion of a homonym is lie — as in lie down or telling a lie.
That’s correct, some homophones may even be labeled as homonyms — within the occasion that they’re spelled the equivalent.
Confused however? Wait. There’s additional.
Homographs
Homographs are phrases which could be spelled the equivalent nonetheless have completely completely different meanings. They is likely to be pronounced the equivalent or they’re typically pronounced otherwise from one another.
Due to this some homographs are homophones and homonyms.
A fantastic homograph occasion is report (a disc that performs audio) and report (to save lots of plenty of or register one factor, typically in writing, audio, video, and so forth.).
How To Keep in mind Homophones, Homonyms, and Homographs
You’ll give you the chance to remember the excellence (what distinction there could also be) between homophones, homonyms, and homographs by breaking each phrase down and recalling the which means of its root suffix and prefix. Moreover, attempt remembering each time interval individually to start, and don’t worry about which homophones are homonyms and which homonyms are homographs.