1. ELT
Session on
homophones, homographs and homonyms
By
Dr. Nicholas Correa
Director, New Horizon Scholars School

2. Homophone:
Homophones are words with similar or same pronunciation but with
different spellings and meanings.
can cane
man mane
fair fare
mar Mare
fat Fate
See* Sea*
Meet* Meat*
Feet* Feat*

3. Homograph
Homographs are words with same spellings but different pronunciation and meanings.
They can be also called heterophones or heteronyms
1 Blessed: /blɛsɨd/ Adj: having divine aid ɛst/ vb: past tense of
Blessed: /ˈbl
blessed
2 Bow: /boʊ/: n: a weapon ʊ
Bow: /ˈba/ vb: to bend
3 Conduct: /ˈkɒndəkt/: n: Action ʌ
Conduct: /kənˈdkt/: vb: to lead
4 ɪ
Buffet: /bəˈfe/ ~ /ˈ bʊfeɪ/:n: sideboard ʌ
Buffet: /ˈbfɨt/: vb: to strike
meal
5 Wind: /ˈ wɪnd/ n: air movement Wind: /ˈwaɪnd/: vb: to tighten a spring
6 Use: /ˈ /: n: benefit, function
juˈs Use: /ˈ /: vb: utilise, employ
juˈz
7 Tear: /ˈtɪər/: n: rolling of tears Tear: /ˈtɛər/: to separate , split, destroy
8 Resume: /ˈrɛzjʉmeɪ/: n: curriculum vitae Resume: /rɨˈzjuˈm to start again
/vb:
9 Read: /ˈ /
riˈd Read: /ˈrɛd/
10 Minute: /maɪˈnjuˈt/
n: Minute: /ˈmɪnət/adj: small

4. Homonym
Homonyms are words with same spellings and same or similar
pronunciation but different meanings.

5. Examples:
1. I couldn't bear to give my pet bear to a zoo!
The first meaning of bear is to tolerate. The second one is an
animal.
2. Grace didn't feel well after falling into the well.
The first meaning of well is good health. The second one is an
underground supply of water.
3. The oil well is yours and the gold mine is mine.
The first meaning of mine is underground supply. The second
one is belongs to me.
4. The rose bushes rose out of the fertile ground.
The first meaning of rose is a flower. The second one is to
grow.

7. List of Homonyms
1 Address: Location Address: Speech, lecture, etc
2 Attribute : Quality, Attribute:
characteristics
3 Close: adj: nearby Close: vb: to shut
4 Delta: n: land at the mouth of Delta: n: fourth letter of Greek
the river alphabet
5 Novel: n: fiction Novel: adj: new, original, fresh
6 Pen: marker Pen: n: enclosure
7 Patient: n: sick person Patient: vb: tolerant, enduring
8 Desert: arid/barren region Desert: ice cream