HOMOPHONES AND HOMONYMS

• I can go to the library only after noon. (Can=verb (ability))
• The can was opened by a knife. (Can=noun (container))

Homophones:

Words that have the same pronunciation but different spellings and meanings are known as Homophones.

Examples of  Homophones are:

• Mother served us chocolate dessert. (Dessert=eatable)

• The boy was stranded alone on the desert. (Desert=land mass)

Homo (same) + Nym (name)            =          Homonym (same name)

Homo (same) + Phone (sound)       =           Homophone (same sound)

Let us now look at some homophones

1. “Aye Aye Captain!” said the sailor as he pulled the sails. (old English for ‘yes’)

The stone hit the worker in the eye while he was working in the quarry. (part of the body)

2. The censor board decided to ban the play in the communally sensitive regions of the country. (a group)

The motion sensor detection lights failed to operate in time. (a mechanism)

3. The student should cite at least two examples for each occurrence. (to quote from a source)

No one was in sight when I reached the charity ball. (to be seen)

4. The Wilsons are going to buy the old mansion next month. (to purchase)

“Bye, Aunt Kathy!” Cindy said as the car pulled out of the lane. (a greeting)

5. The two pieces of metal were brazed together at a high melting point.

(soldered) The vegetables were braised using little water. (cooked in a pan)

Look at the words printed in bold in the sentences below. The table that follows explains each word’s pronunciation and meaning.

1. All the expenses of the tour were billed to the company.

2. We ate heartily last night at the graduation party.

3. Privileges should be given based on merit rather than caste.

4. Nathan decided to build a room upstairs for his long lost brother.

5. Soldiers are trained to survive without food and water for days together.

6. Like Cinderella, Isabelle also wished for a fairy godmother to arrive and rescue her out of her foster home.

7. We were not prepared to face such a devastating storm.

8. The FIR report stated that the family had employed Jaggu despite knowing that he was a minor.

9. The ferry to Mandva jetty leaves in 10 minutes so we better hurry up.

10. The fir trees in the woods were covered with snow.

11. She was groomed to become a nun one day.

12. The witch cast an ominous spell over Andalusia and every baby that would be born in the country.

13. The wife of the victim was in a daze after the revelations of the murder.

14. Polar bears have thick fur on their body to protect them from extreme cold.

15. Felix liked to have eight pencils in his pencil box.

16. Kevin’s father was a miner during the day and a bouncer at night.

17. The main switch needs to be disconnected immediately in case the red light starts beeping continuously.

18. The knot was too tight for little Kevin to loosen it in time.

19. Simba stood at the edge of Pride Rock and looked magnificent as the wind breezed through his luscious mane.

20. None of the designs sent by the architect are impressive