Editor's Corner

Good morning and happy Monday. Let’s get this week started!

On Friday, we talked about synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms. And I threatened that we would carry on today with an explanation of why homonyms can be hard to wrap your head around. It’s because there are so many similar but different terms that categorize the group of words we refer to as homonyms. Today I’m going to discuss homophones, homographs, and heteronyms. No one expects you to memorize this information (except maybe your fifth grade teacher), but it will illustrate how complicated the English language is. We have so many different ways to spell the same sounds and different ways to pronounce words that are spelled alike. I feel a need to apologize to all of you English language learners!

Okay, think all the way back to Friday and remember that homonyms are words that have different meanings, but they have the same pronunciation. Homonyms may or may not be spelled the same. I gave these examples:

· bark (the noise a dog makes / the exterior covering of a tree) [dbb – This word is pronounced the same way for both meanings.]

· pair / pare / pear (two / trim / fruit) [dbb – This group of words also fits into the homophone
grouping below, which is where the confusion begins!]

Homophones are listed below. These words have the same pronunciation, but they always have different spellings and different meanings. Some common examples are:

· pair / pare / pear

· accept / except

· coarse / course

· vein / vain / vane

And then there are homographs, which are words that are always spelled the same, but they have different meanings, and they may or may not have the same pronunciation. [dbb – Thank goodness for examples because this is getting confusing; and we expect fifth graders to memorize this!]:

· lie (untruth) / lie (lie down) [dbb – These first two bullets show words that have different meanings, but they have the same pronunciation and the same spelling.]

· bolt (to run) / bolt (a metal bar) / bolt (a roll of cloth)

· tear (moisture from your eye / tear (rip) [dbb – The next three bullets show words that are spelled the same but they have different pronunciations. These words also fit into the
heteronyms grouping below. Oh, those poor fifth graders.]

· bass (fish) / bass (the lowest male singing voice)

· desert (dry climate) / desert (leave alone)

And, finally, there are heteronyms, which are words that have different meanings and a different pronunciation, but they are always spelled the same:

· tear (rip) / tear (moisture from your eye)

· bass (fish) / bass (the lowest male singing voice)

· desert (dry climate) / desert (leave alone)

· dove (bird) / dove (past tense of dive)

· invalid (not valid) / invalid (one suffering from a disability)

Okay, I’m going to have to take a nap now. This English language has worn me out. Have a great day!

Donna Bradley Burcher | Technical Editor, Adv. | Symitar®

8985 Balboa Ave. | San Diego, CA 92123 | Ph. 619.278.0432 | Ext: 765432