English words same word different meaning

To understand this better, let us look at some examples:

CLEAN

1. The cottage needs a good clean.
2. He clean forgot about dropping the letters in the post box.
3. The entertainment was good clean fun for the whole family.
4. He cleaned up his act and came off drugs.

In the above example, we have used the word clean and used it in 4 different sentences, each signifying a different meaning, along with its usage as different parts of speech.

Sentence A — The cottage needs a good clean. The word clean in this sentence means the act or an instance of cleaning. Since this is an act, hence it is a noun.

Sentence B — He clean forgot about dropping the letters in the post box. The meaning of the word clean in this sentence is completely, and since it is modifying the word forgot which a verb (action word) is, it is an adverb.

Sentence C — The entertainment was good clean fun for the whole family. In this case, the meaning of the word clean is fit for everyone, nothing obscene. The word in this case is modifying fun, which is a noun; hence the word here is an adjective.

Sentence D — He cleaned up his act and came off drugs. In this case the word cleans means to rid of undesirable features. Clean has been used to denote an action, and hence in this case it is a verb.

LIGHT

1. The new lamp had good light for reading.
2. Magnesium is a light metal.
3. Rahul likes to travel light.
4. The choice lighted on me.

Sentence A — The new lamp had good light for reading. In this the word light is being is used to mean a particular quality or type of light. And also it has been used as a noun.
Sentence B — Magnesium is a light metal. In this the word is used to mean having relatively low density, also since it is used to describe the word metal which is a noun, it is an adjective.
Sentence C — Rahul likes to travel light. In this, the word light means little equipment, baggage, etc.
Sentence D — the choice lighted on me. In this the word light is used to denote an action thus it is verb and it means to strike or fall on.

Some of the similar kinds of words are:

LOVE

We love you. (Here, love is a verb as it is showing the action in terms of expressing an emotion)
Love is blind. (Here, Love is a noun as it is a name of an emotion)

WATER

We drink water. (Here, water is a noun as it is name of the thing)
They water the plants. (Here, water is a verb as here it means giving water to plants i.e. an action)
This is a water pipe. (Here, water is a adjective as it is describing pipe which is a noun)

ABOVE

The heavens showered blessings from above. (Here, ‘above’ is used as a noun)
She is above average in intelligence. (Here, above is a preposition as here it is showing the position or the status of the pronoun ‘she’)
Analyze the above sentence. (Here, above is an adjective as it telling something about the noun ‘sentence’)

FAST

He did not take anything during the fast. (It names something, so it is a noun)
Muslims fast during Ramazan. (This is an activity, so fast is a verb)
She speaks fast. (This becomes adverb here as it is describing a verb i.e. )

BACK

English pronunciation is already hard enough, but what about words like you’re and your, or there and their – words that sound exactly alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings.

These types of words are called homophones. By definition, a homophone is a word that has the same exact pronunciation as another word in English, but each of the words has different spellings and meanings. For example, the number one sounds exactly like the past simple verb won, but each has very different meanings.  

Guess what? There are more than 6,000 homophones in English! In this blog, I want to help you learn some of the homophones that I’ve seen my students struggle with most.  

KNOT and NOT

A knot is what forms when you tie a piece of rope, string, or fabric to itself or something else. When you tie your shoes, you make a knot. This word sounds exactly like the word not, the word used to negate verbs and phrases.  

For example:

John: “Why is there a knot in my shoelaces?” 

Shelia: “What? There’s a knot! I did not tie the knot!”  

BAND and BANNED

A band is a group of people, generally musicians who play music together. Band can also mean a flat, straight piece of material. This word sounds exactly like its homophone banned, which means to forbid something or someone from doing something.  

For example: 

John: “What time is the band playing tonight?” 

Shelia: “The tickets show that the band will start playing at midnight, but I don’t know how that’s possible. Live, loud music after midnight is banned in the city!”  

EFFECT and AFFECT

The previous example of prophet and profit cause confusion among students, the example of effect and affect cause confusion among native speakers. I’ve had to correct this mistake with lots of friends and family members! Simply put, effect and affect mean the same thing but the effect is a noun, and affect is a verb. Let’s take a look at some simplified definitions  

Effect (noun) – A change that has happened because of a consequence of another action.  

Listening to classical music has the effect of calming you while you study.  

Affect (verb) – To have an effect on something, to cause a change in something, or to cause a strong emotional response. 

Drinking coffee late at night can negatively affect your sleep.

There were some scenes in the movie that really affected me emotionally.  

THERE, THEY’RE and THEIR 

If you don’t already have this English language homophone memorized, memorize it now! The differences between there, they’re, and there are easy errors to let slip, but confusing these words in your writing looks sloppy. Let’s make sure you have these correct:

      There — a location Once you cross the railroad tracks, make a left turn there.

      They’re – the contraction of they are. They’re studying English on Italki! 

      Their – the possessive adjective of they. Their dog is named Harvey.  

      For example: 

      John: “Where are Mark and Kate?”

      Shelia: “They’re over there, with their children Junior and Cheryl.”  

WEATHER and WHETHER 

One of my favorite activities to work with students on Italki is helping edit their college admission essays, graduate admission essays and personal statements. An error I frequently correct in personal statements is the confusion of these two homophones: weather and whether.  

Weather — climatic conditions (rain, sunny, foggy, hot, cold…)  

Whether – a synonym of if 

For example: 

Mark: “Did you ask Cheyanne whether she’s bringing her dog to the picnic?” 

Shelia: “I did, but she said it would depend on the weather. She’ll only bring her dog if it’s going to be sunny.” 

WHICH and WITCH

Another frequent homophone correction I find myself making in my students’ writing is the difference between which and witch. Let’s take a quick look at how these two words are different, even though they sound identical.  

Which – a question word that asks what one?  

For example, if you’re looking at your collection of sunglasses, maybe you ask yourself Which pair of sunglasses should I wear today?

Witch – an evil woman who has magical powers.  

If you travel to Salem, Pennsylvania, you can learn about the women who were accused of being witches in the 17th century USA.  

For example, 

Mark: “I love all these Halloween costumes! Which one are you going to wear to the party?” 

Shelia: “I’m going to dress up as a witch this year! What about you?” 

Check Your Comprehension 

Now that you’re an expert in homophones, try reading this paragraph out loud! Can you identify the different meanings?  

There are certain effects that the weather can have on your state of well-being. Whether it’s rainy and cold, or sunny and clear, scientists believe the weather greatly affects our moods. This is suggested by the data they’re gathering in their lab. There, at their laboratory, they’re also testing the effects of listening to different types of music while carrying out certain activities, such as knot tying. The researchers have determined that there is no significant effect on which type of music or band’s music when tying knots.  

Need some help with homophones? Getting ready for a job interview or international exam such as the IELTS? Need some help improving the way you communicate in English? Book a lesson with me! Looking forward to seeing you in class.  

Maybe you are also interested in the following articles:

• How to improve your writing skills in English in 5 simple ways?
• What is the best way to improve my English in 10 days?
• The most common job interview questions and answers in English for both experienced and inexperienced candidates.
• How to find a good English teacher online?
• How to improve your listening skills in English in 5 simple steps?

Globally, English is one of the most spoken and popular languages. Many English speakers believe that other cultures will understand the English words they use, without realizing that some of the words in English have different connotations or meanings in different languages. Many of these English words are the same in spelling, for example in German, Dutch, Polish, Spanish, Sweden and many other languages, but they have different meanings.

Other words sound like English words with a slight difference in pronunciation, such as taxi, which in Korean is taek-si (pronounced taek-shi).

False friends

The words may be similar due to them coming from the same language family or due to loan words. In some cases they are ”false friends” meaning the words stand for something else from what you know.

1. In English “to use the voice,” means to say something “aloud.” In Dutch, aloud means “ancient”
2. The English word “angel” means a supernatural being often represented with wings. Angel in German translates to ”fishing rod” and ”sting” in Dutch.
3. You mean something not specific or whatever when you say “any.” But in Catalan, it is equivalent to “year” although others use the word “curs.”
4. The arm is an upper body extremity but for the Dutch it is the term used when they mean “bad.” But the English term ”bad” is equivalent to ”bath” in Dutch.
5. Bank could be an institution where people deposit their money, something or someone you trust or the sloping land close to a body of water. For the Dutch, ”bank” means cough.
6. An outlying building in a farm is called ”barn,” which is the term for ”children” in Dutch. On the other hand the English word ”bat” refers to a flying mammal or a club used to hit a ball. In Polish, the word means, ”whip.”
7. Beer in English means a ”bear” in Dutch, while they use the term ”big” to refer to a ”baby pig.”
8. “Car in a motorized vehicle, but for the French, it means ”because.” A chariot for the English speakers is a horse-drawn vehicle or a carriage, but the French use this term to mean something smaller, like a ”trolley.”
9. You use the term ”chips” when you mean ”French fries” while the French use ”Crisps” when they say chips.
10. Donkey in Spanish is ”burro” whereas for the Italian, it means ”butter.”
11. The English word ”gift” means ”poison” in German and Norwegian and ”married” in Swedish.
12. “Home” is where you live, but it means ”mold” in Finnish and ”man” in Catalan.
13. “Panna” is cream in English and in Italian, but means ”put” in Finnish. In Polish, they use the term it indicate “a single woman.”
14. The Spanish term for frog is “rana,” but rana means, ”wound” in Romanian and Bulgarian.
15. “Sugar” is something sweet and it’s a sweet term used by Romanians for a baby aged 0-12 months. But the speakers of Basque use the term to mean ”flame.”
16. Tuna is a large fish that is a Japanese favorite when making sashimi. The term means ”cactus” in Spanish or a ”ton” in Czech.
17. “Fart” is a vulgar English word that means expelling intestinal gas. But it means ”good luck” in Polish and ”speed” in Swedish. In French, though, ”pet” is the translation of ”fart” (yes, the foul-smelling variety).
18. Cake in Icelandic is ”kaka” but it is an ”older sister” in Bulgarian. “Kind” means ”child” in German but ”sheep” in Icelandic.
19. You’re likely to say ”prego” when you’re in Italy instead of the usual ”thank you” but it means something very mundane in Portuguese. In Portugal, it is the term they use for ”nail.”
20. ”Privet” is a type of evergreen shrub or small tree that you can use as a border wall. But in Russian, privet, which means ”greetings,” is informally used to say ”hello.”
21. Watercress is a salad green that is called ”berros” in Spanish. The Portuguese however has a very different meaning to berros. To them, it means scream.
22. When you hear the Swedes say ”bra,” they mean ”good,” instead of a type of women’s underwear.
23. “But” is a conjunction in English, whereas the Polish use the term to indicate ”shoe.”
24. This one is a bit similar. The term ”cap” is the Romanian word for ”head.” We say ”door” when we mean the opening to gain access into a room or the panel that opens and closes an entrance. Door in Dutch is almost similar, as it means ”through.”
25. ”Fast” in German means almost, while ”elf” means the number eleven. ”Grad” is the German term for ”degree” but means a ”city” in Bosnian.
26. Make sure you remember this. When is Spain, “largo” means ”long” but it means ”wide” in Portuguese.
27. The meaning of ”pasta” is very different in Polish and Italian. In Italian it is the term for ”noodles,” while in Polish, it means ”toothpaste.” When you’re in Norway, “sau” means sheep while in Germany, it means sow (female pig). “Pig” is ”gris” in Swedish while in Spanish, gris means ”gray.”
28. “Glass” is something shiny, hard and brittle in English, but it turns to soft, cold, sweet and gooey ”ice cream” when you’re in Sweden.
29. The Italians use the word ”vela” when they mean, ”sail.” In Spain though it means ”candle.”
30. The number six in Spanish is ”seis” and for the Finnish, they say this when they mean, ”stop!”
31. The big, blue ”sky” means ”gravy” in Swedish, while ”roof” means ”robbery” in Dutch.
32. When a Swedish says, ”kiss,” it means ”pee” instead of caressing with the lips.
33. “Carp” is a fish beloved in Japan and it is a type of freshwater fish found in Asia and Europe. But in Romanian, the carp is called ”crap.” Hmm…
34. Trombone is a musical instrument. It is the instrument of choice for some of the famous artists such as Joseph Alessi, J.J. Johnson, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and Frank Rosolino. But in French, it is something very ordinary – a paper clip.
35. “Awesome” in German is “hammer.”
36. “Barf” means ”snow” in Urdu, Hindi and Farsi.

Be careful with your words

Words can hurt other people if you are not careful. English speakers who love to travel should take time to learn the culture and read about the quirks and characteristics of the main language spoken in their destination. They should know that some words in a foreign language might sound like English but stand for something different in another language.

If you are in Wales, do not feel slighted when you hear a Welsh-speaking native say ”moron” while you’re in the market. The person might be trying to sell you some ”carrots.”

In English, you can say you ”won” something and feel proud or happy. In South Korea, it is their national currency. When a house is said to be ”won” in Polish, it means that it is ”nice smelling.” Russia has a different interpretation, however. In Russian, using the word ”won” means describing something that ”stinks.”

The Spanish term ”oficina” translates into ”office” in English. But for the Portuguese, an ”oficina” is only a ”workshop,” such as a mechanic’s shop.

The term ”schlimm” sounds like ”slim” in English. In the Netherlands, this stands for being smart or successful. But in Germany, which is 467.3 kilometers away from the Netherlands by car via A44, (roughly a five-hour drive), schlimm means ”unsuccessful and dim-witted!

English speakers understand that ”slut” is a derogatory word. But for the Swedish, this means ”finished” or the ”end,” something that you’d say when you want your relationship with your Swedish boyfriend or girlfriend is over. So when you’re in Sweden, you’ll see signs such as ”slutspurt” that means a final sale or ”slutstation” when you’ve reached a train line’s end.

If you’re an urbanite, it is difficult to enjoy fresh air unless you go to the countryside. “Air” in Malay (sounds like a-yah), which is an official language in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei, it means ”water.” When you mean the ”air” you breathe, you use the word ”udara.”

In English and in German, the word ”dick” is derogatory. It means ”fat” or ”thick” in German.

You might think that the Spanish appetizer ”tapas” is universally understood when you’re in South America because you are so used to seeing tapas bars in the U.S., UK, Canada, Mexico and Ireland (or their own version of it). However, in Brazil, where Portuguese is an official language, ”tapas” means ”slap” rather than a delicious snack. If you want to have tapas-like snacks to go with your beer, the right term to use is ”petiscos” or ”tira-gostos.” Now you know the right term to use when you’re in Brazil. If you go to Mexico, you can order ”botanas” and ask for some ”picada” in Argentina or ”cicchetti” if you happen to be in Venice. In South Korea, tapas-like appetizers are called ”anju.”

Sounds like…

In Portuguese, the word ”peidei” that sounds like ”payday” means, ”I farted.”

Salsa is a wonderful, graceful and thrilling dance style, but in South Korea, when you hear the word ”seolsa,” which sounds like ”salsa” it refers to ”diarrhea.”

Speaking of diarrhea, in Japanese, the term they use is ”geri,” which sounds like the name ”Gary.”

”Dai,” an Italian word, is pronounced like the English word ”die.” The literal translation of this is ”from” but it is colloquially used by the Italians to mean, ”Come on!”

The English term ”retard” could either mean delay or move slowly. It could also mean moron or imbecile. In French, ”retardé” translates to delay as well.

There is an English term called a ”smoking jacket” which is a mid-length jacket for men that is often made of quilted satin or velvet. The French however call a ”tuxedo,” which is a semi-formal evening suit, ”smoking.”

“Horny” is an English term that is mostly associated to feelings of being aroused or turned on. Literally, it means something with horn-like projections, many horns or made of horns, such as ”horny coral” or ”horny toad.” But ”horní” in Czech simply means ”upper.”

In Spanish, ”gato” means ”cat” but ”gateux” is ”cake” in French.

Eagle is a soaring bird. In Germany, the word ”igel” that has a similar pronunciation to ”eagle” actually means ”hedgehog.”

Something else

The term ”thongs” is usually associated with sexy swimwear or underwear. When you’re in Australia though, thongs refer to rubber flip-flops.

In Polish, the month of April is ”Kwiecień” while in Czech, the similarly sounding term, ”Květen” is for the month of May.

For English speakers a ”preservative” is a chemical compound that prevents decomposition of something. But be careful when you say the word while in France, as this means ”condom” for the French. It means the same thing in many different languages in Europe as well, such as:

• Prezervativ (Albanian)
• Preservative (Italian)
• Prezervatīvs (Latvian)
• Prezervatyvas (Lithuanian)
• Prezerwatywa (Polish)
• Preservative (Portuguese)
• Prezervativ (Romanian)
• Prezervativ (Russian)
• Prezervatyv (Ukranian)

‘In Spanish, ”si” means yes, but ”no” in Swahili. “No” is ”yes” in Czech (a shortened version of “ano.” “La” is ”no” in Arabic.

”Entrée” is a French term that translates to ”appetizer.” In American English though, term is used to indicate the ”main course.”

“Mama” in Russian and in several other different languages means ”mother.” However, in Georgian, ”mama” is the term for ”father.”

Languages are definitely fascinating and interesting, but there is enough reason to learn a few things about it to avoid a faux pas when you are in another country, because English words could mean differently. Ensure that your English documents are translated accurately in different languages by getting in touch with a translator from Day Translations, Inc. Our translators are not only native speakers; they are also subject matter experts. Give us a call at 1-800-969-6853 or send us an email at contact@daytranslations.com for a quick quote. Our translators are located world-wide and we are open every single day of the year. We can serve you any time, wherever you are located.

Image Copyright: almoond / 123RF Stock Photo

Download 500+ English Phrases

A number of English words are spelled the same way and pronounced the same way, but have different meanings.

Easy Vocabulary Words

bark

The noun bark refers to the outer covering of a tree. The verb bark refers to the sound a dog makes.

nails

The hard parts on your fingers and toes are your nails (you can also say fingernails and toenails, more specifically). Nails are also thin, sharp metal pieces used in construction.

jam

The noun jam means a sweet paste made out of fruit. It is also called jelly.

The verb jam means to put something into a space that is too small for it. For example you would jam a week’s worth of clothes into a small backpack.

A traffic jam is when the cars on the road are very slow or stopped.

pool

A pool (or swimming pool) is a man-made area of water, for swimming. Pool also refers to a game where you try to put the colored and numbered balls into the holes around the edges of the table. It can also be called billiards.

mine

The word mine is a possessive adjective. For example, “The blue car is mine.”

Mine is also a noun. It can refer to the place where minerals are dug out of the earth (this activity is called mining, and the people who do it are called miners).

A mine or landmine also refers to a bomb that is buried underground; it will explode when someone steps on it or drives over it. These are used in war.

Intermediate Vocabulary Words

bolt

A bolt is a type of metal fastener. The word bolt is also used for a single ray of lightning (a lightning bolt). Finally, bolt is a verb meaning to run extremely fast.

season

A season (noun) is a period of the year with a particular climate/weather (spring, summer, fall, winter). The verb season means to apply spices or flavorings to food. These spices or flavorings are called seasonings. For example, you might season a chicken before roasting it in the oven.

novel

A novel (noun) is a fictional book of significant length.

The word novel can also be used as an adjective to mean especially new, unusual, or different. For example, a novel approach to solving a problem.

draft

The noun draft refers to a current of air into an enclosed space. For example, if there’s a space under your front door, there will be a draft in the house and it might get cold.

Draft as a noun also refers to a version of a document, plan, or drawing. A rough draft is a version that has not yet been revised, and the final draft is the final version of it.

If a country has a draft, it means the citizens must obligatorily participate in the military. Draft can also be a verb in this case – a person can be drafted to serve in the military.

squash

The word squash refers to a family of vegetables that have hard exterior shells, and we eat the inside part. The picture shows just one type of squash; there are many.

Squash is also an indoor sport played with rackets and a ball.

Finally, the verb squash means to crush something (compress/destroy it with pressure). You would squash a spider if you saw it crawling across your kitchen floor. If you put something heavy on top of your bread when loading your grocery bags, the bread would get squashed.

Advanced Vocabulary Words

buckle

The word buckle refers to a metal clasp, such as one found on a belt. Buckle is also a verb meaning to close/fasten such a clasp. For example, you should buckle your seatbelt when you get into the car. (The opposite is unbuckle).

The other meaning for the word buckle is to collapse, especially under a lot of weight or pressure. For example, a person’s legs might buckle if they faint (become unconscious). If you buckle under the stress or your job, it means you break down emotionally.

current

The adjective current describes something that is modern or happening now.

Current as a noun refers to the direction and speed of flow of a liquid (such as water in the ocean or in a river), gas, or electricity.

harbor

A harbor (noun) is a sheltered area of water that is deep enough so that ships can anchor there.

The verb harbor means to provide shelter. For example, it is a crime to harbor a fugitive (a criminal who is running away from the police or legal authorities). You can also harbor negative feelings such as resentment or a grudge, meaning to keep those feelings alive inside you.

hatch

Hatch (verb) refers to the process of a baby bird coming out of its egg.

A hatch (noun) is an opening in the floor, ceiling, or wall of a ship or aircraft, often having a door on hinges.

racket

A racket is a piece of sports equipment containing a round frame and netting – used in tennis, squash, badminton, and other games.

The noun racket also means loud, often chaotic noise. For example, how can I study when the party next door is making a racket?

Hi there! Welcome back to another episode of the art of business English, well this week I do have a quick episode for you and it’s on a common problem that people often have with knowing the difference between certain pronunciation and certain spelling of words that sound the same but in fact they have different meanings. This distinction is especially important for professional writers like those from https://essaywritingservice.com/ or similar websites.

So, what will be looking at in this episode is basically, in the first part I’ll cover words that have very similar spelling, OK? But they have a different meaning. And then in part two I’ll be looking at words that have very similar pronunciation but they have a different meaning, okay?

So a quick episode for you today just to help clarify these words that have similar meaning or similar pronunciation, similar spelling with different meaning okay? so let’s have a look at the first list what I’m gonna do is I’m gonna  turn out to my computer and have a look. 

Altogether vs. All together

So, the first word is altogether which means completely, altogether, so it is spelt A-L-T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R, so altogether and it means completely, whereas if you spell all together separately so A-L-L T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R it means a group of things or people in one place. 

Effect vs. Affect 

The next word is E-F-F-E-C-T so effect now bring about or make which as a verb is to bring about or make something happen or result as a noun that’s important because it’s very similar to the word affect which is spelt A-F-F-E-C-T so these two words are commonly, commonly confused and even by native people you will see them confused and even by native people you’ll see them confused in writing so affect which is spelt AFF ECT this means to have an effect on something okay so effect is bring about or make happen and affect is to have an effect on something. 

Lose vs. Loose

The next word is lose so if you LOSE something that’s a verb to lose is perder, so foul to have or find, however it is very close in spelling to loose which is L00SE and loose means that it is not tight so, suelto o no muy ajustado. They very closely spell to lose is LOSE and LOOSE. 

Specially vs. Especially

Okay let’s look then at the next word which is also commonly confused and that is specially so specially is SPECIALLY is for a special purpose okay so specially for a special purpose whereas ESPECIALLY this is something in particular so especially something in particular though very similar and often commonly confused 

Stationary vs. Stationery

Next one is a noun which is STATIONARY okay stationary we hear that a lot stationary is STATIONERY okay and that is actually referring to paper or envelopes or Post-it notes or you know all of that stuff at lovely stuff that we buy for the office okay and whereas the verb sorry the adjective stationary which is STATIONARY, stationary means it’s not moving okay and is used formally for vehicles so the car was stationary at the front of the police station for example 

Principle vs. Principal

So, what you’ll also notice with the next one is also commonly confused principle so that is PRINCIPLE so principle and principle well it mostly means it’s the general truth or a standard okay so are the general principle of this argument is whereas the principle of the school is PRINCIPAL  so principal is your headmaster or the head of the college okay and that’s a very common word used to describe the headmaster at school in Australia as well so those are some words which are varies have very similar spelling but actually mean different things and you know you really need to have clear those because they are commonly confused. 

Allowed vs. Aloud

As I said in the introduction in the second part of the episode going to be looking at words which have the same or very similar pronunciation but different spelling and meaning okay so let’s start with these words at the first one is allowed and allowed okay so you might be confusing aloud which is ALLOWED that means you know you are permitted you have permission to I am allowed to eat at this chocolate cake today whereas aloud which is spelt ALOUD it means you know it en voz alta, something that is said out loud or aloud okay so very different meaning from allowed which is to permitted again so that that’s a very common confusing sound okay because those two sound exactly the same.

Are you looking to expand your knowledge of English vocabulary and expressions? 

Grab your copy of my eBook «500 Business English Collocations for Everyday Use». Includes free download audio of pronunciation 

Bear vs. Bare

 Another one that’s also commonly confused is bear and bare okay so a bear is probably most of you know it is an animal, it’s an oso and a bear is spelt BEAR however bear which is also like there’s nudo or something that is very sparse so for example if you have no food in your cupboard you could say my cupboards are bare and that is BA RE so bearing means that something is very sparsely populated or there’s nothing covering it okay so very different from the animal bear but those two words sound exactly the same as well.

Fair vs. Fare

The next one is FAIR and FARE, okay so fair is the adjective you know to be fair justo and it’s FAIR okay so and you know if it’s fair our trade fair as a noun at the trade fair that those are and that those are similar in in in pronunciation to fear like the train fare know your train fare is that the fee or the money that you pay to purchase a ticket to ride on the train so train fare would be FARE so very different in meaning but exactly the same pronunciation.

Hair vs. Hare

Now the next ones are very commonly confused well the exact same sound hair and hare. So, hair as most people would think of is what we have on our head, so el pelo is HAIR however it has the exact same pronunciation as HARE, which is in fact are an animal it’s like a large rabbit okay it’s very similar to a rabbit that little bit larger okay and are often hunted in the forest so hare is different from hair that we have on our head.

Pear vs. Pair

Then you got the fruit PEAR which is PEAR una pera and that is different from una pareja, una pareja is PAIR, so the fruit and as a noun have exactly the same pronunciation pear and pair okay, so a little bit confusing.

Piece vs. Peace

The next one is piece and peace okay? So, a piece of chocolate cake is un trozo and also peace is PEACE la paz so we have piece and peace with exactly the same spelling however, sorry exactly the same pronunciation but completely different spelling so that’s also commonly confused.

Practice vs. Practise

So, the next is also very commonly confused especially by native people and often is very difficult to detect it when you are making this mistake because of the spelling, it is very similar and the pronunciation is exactly the same, so when we refer to practice the noun which is to practice, football practice which is entrenamiento then it’s PRACTICE. So, practice and when we want to talk about the verb so to practice something then the spelling is almost the same but it finishes differently PRACTISE. Okay so that’s a very common mistake you got practise and practice at football practice and to practice playing the piano so one is a noun one is a verb.

Stair vs. Stare

Another one that is also commonly confused stair and stare, stairs as most people would imagine is what we climb, climb stairs so las escaleras so stair is STAIR however the, the verb is pronounced exactly the same as you got the verb to stare which is fijar en algo and that is STARE okay so to stair and ehm… those two can be confused a little as well because the pronunciation is exactly the same.

Their vs. There

Another one this one is that the second last one for today’s episode, however this pair of words are very commonly confused as well and you have got the word their and there okay so their was a possessive adjective so their car is spelt THEIR however you’ve also got THERE which is for example over there allá or there is a car hay un coche so there is spelt THERE so they both have exactly the same pronunciation however ahm… they are spelt differently and honestly have different meanings.

Weather vs. Whether

The last one for today’s episode is weather and whether so you’ve got weather, which is el tiempo today there is really nice weather whereas you’ve also got whether which is like if. «I’m not sure whether I will go to the party.», which is similar to, «I’m not sure if I will go to the party.», and that is actually spelt WHETHER so very similar practically the same the pronunciation but the meaning is completely different again so those are some very commonly confused words that I want to share with you guys because you know sometimes at the level of pronunciation it is very difficult to know which one people are referring to obviously most things are context and I also want to share with you because when you’re writing many, many people make mistakes with their writing with these types of words so if you do have any questions regarding these types words then please let me known. I’ll be more than happy to help you.

Final Thoughts

That’s basically all I have time for today. Hope you loving the content this year. I hope you’re enjoying what we have been providing for you since January 2019, basically I’m having a great time, been working on a lot of stuff. I’ve been trying to provide as much valuable content as possible but if you do have anything that you would like me to specifically work on or explain for you then please send me an email. You can do that by sending an email to aobe @ theartofbusinessenglish.com and I will be more than happy to work on putting together some content for you making sure that you guys get exactly what you need.

Okay well that’s pretty much all we have time for today if you would like to watch the video obviously you can at our website and I will be putting that up soon and also you know if you guys would like to improve your vocabulary and your collocations then please feel free to grab a copy of our 500 business English collocations for everyday use it’s a fantastic book with the pronunciation accompanying that so you know it’s sort of like an e-book as well as an audiobook that you can listen to which will help you to improve your pronunciation. Well my friends as always I hope you have a great week that’s all I have time for you today and I look forward to hearing your comments and getting feedback so take care- by for now.

 Bonus content

WORDS WITH SIMILAR SPELLING BUT DIFFERENT MEANINGS

 Altogether – completely

All together – A group of things or people in one place

Effect – bring about/make (v); result (noun)

Affect – have an effect on

Lose – fail to have or find

Loose – not tight

Specially – for a special purpose

Especially – particularly

Stationery – paper, envelopes, etc.

Stationary – not moving (used formally of vehicles)

Principle – general truth or standard

Principal – head of college or school

WORDS WITH SAME PRONUNCIATION BUT DIFFERENT SPELLING & MEANING

Allowed-aloud

Bear-bare

Fair-fare

Hair-hare

Pear-pair

Piece-peace

Practice (n) – practise (v)

Stair-stare

Their-there

Weather-whether

Listen & Subscribe For Free 

Related Posts

TEST
YOUR VOCABULARY 3

56. Same
word, different meaning

In each pair of
sentences below, the missing word is the same but the meaning is different. What
are the missing words?

1	___change_____	Let’s go out tonight for a ______. I’m fed up with cooking. Have you got any ______? I’ve only got a £10 note.
2	____________	My brother can’t stand the sight of blood. It always makes him ______. Her voice on the phone was so ______ that I could hardly hear it.
3	____________	She doesn’t have a ______ account. She keeps her money under the mattress. We saw him sitting on the river ______ fishing.
4	____________	I can’t ______ that man. He really gets on my nerves. We saw a ______ in the forest when we were camping in California.
5	____________	You have to ______ three egg whites to make this pudding. Argentina ______ Germany 2-0 in the final.
6	____________	I don’t have to wear a ______ to work. I just go in jeans and a T-shirt. She bent down to ______ up her shoelace.
7	____________	She had a cold and the ______ of her nose was red. The waiter was really helpful so we gave him a big ______.
8	____________	She wants curtains that will ______ her carpet. It was the most exciting football ______ I’ve ever seen.
9	____________	Use a first-class ______ if you want the letter to arrive by tomorrow. Everyone began to ______ their feet in time to the music.
10	____________	I’m tired. I think I’ll go and ______ down for a while. I didn’t say that! That’s a ______!
11	____________	I need to go to the gym every day to try to get into ______ again. A rugby ball is a different ______ from a football.
12	____________	She dropped my favourite china vase and it ______. I’ve just spent all my money on a new sound system. I am now completely ______.
13	____________	I parked my car on a double yellow line and I got a £30 ______. I heard the weather forecast and apparently it’s going to be ______today.
14	____________	One, three, five and seven are odd numbers. Two, four six and eight are ______. I’m not going out ______ if it stops raining. I’m too cold and tired.
15	____________	I have absolutely no ______ in politics. I like art, music and literature. You can get about 6% ______ in this savings account.
16	____________	She’s good teacher because she’s very ______. Doctor Fernandez has received another card from a grateful ______.

Answer key

Synonymy relates to the topic of semantics, which concerns the study of meaning in language. The term synonymy originates from the Greek words sún and onoma, which mean with and name.

The first sentence uses awful to describe the weather and the second uses terrible. Although both sentences use different words, they have the same meaning: bad. In other words, awful and terrible are synonyms of bad.

To test whether two words are synonyms (or synonymous), we can use a substitution method: if one word can be replaced by another without changing the meaning/sense of the sentence, the two words are synonyms. The opposite of synonymy is antonymy. Synonymy can be found across all parts of speech: in nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc.

Let’s put the synonyms into a sentence and use the substitution method:

1a. You have a big house.

1b. You have a large house.

By substituting big with large, we can keep the sentence’s meaning (the description of the house) in a similar degree/sense as the original sentence.

2a. He had a difficult decision to make.

2b. He had a hard decision to make.

The same as before, the substitution of difficult with hard does not change the sentence’s meaning (the description of the decision).

Synonymy in literature

Instead of repeating the word one kind, Lee chooses its synonym: alike, to relay a similar meaning to ‘very similar’. The same thing happens in the case of stayed shut up in the house and stay inside. Using synonymy, Lee enriches the prose by avoiding repetition while keeping the meaning similar in both cases.

Wake is a synonym of watch. Here, wake means ‘to stay awake to watch or tend’ (Oxford English Dictionary). Notice the slightly richer sense of see in watch compared to wake, yet the two words carry a similar meaning. By adopting synonymy, Shakespeare enhances the quality of the words he uses.

Absolute synonyms

With absolute synonyms, the meaning and function of the synonymous words are exactly the same. If you have a pair of absolutely synonymous words, you can substitute the words in every possible context (semantic, grammatical, sociolinguistic, etc.) with its synonym. This condition is very rare because, usually, two words that refer to the same meaning/object can’t co-exist. An example of an absolute synonym is airport and aerodrome. The former is what we commonly use nowadays, whereas the latter is an old-fashioned word.

Partial synonyms

Partial synonyms, on the other hand, occur when words have very closely related meanings. The meanings are not exactly the same, only partially, but close enough to relay the same message. Partial synonyms can differ in their collocation, register, and regional/social variation.

Have a look at these examples of partial synonyms:

1. We have a big problem.	Although gigantic is synonymous with big, the word combination of gigantic problem (1c) doesn’t sound natural. This is what’s called a collocation (a pairing of words with a high level of frequency).
a. We have a large problem.
b. We have a huge problem.
c. We have a gigantic problem.

2a. The tickets can only be bought online.	Generally, buy and purchase mean ‘to obtain something by paying money for it’ (Oxford Learner’s Dictionary). However, the two words differ in their register. Buy is considered a general term, whereas purchase is often used in a more formal context.
2 B. The tickets can only be purchased online.

3a. It’s been a very chilly autumn this year.	Both autumn and fall mean ‘the season of the year between summer and winter.’ But, autumn is Commonly used in British English, while fall is used in American English. They differ in regional/social variety.
3b. It’s been a very chilly fall this year.

Important to note: Homonym is a broader term for homophone (words that sound the same but have different meanings) and homograph (words that are spelt the same but have different meanings). Synonyms have similar meanings but homonyms have different meanings.

Even though the word wing is replaced with extension, we still get the same information about ‘a new section of the hospital is currently being constructed and it is for the maternity department’. The meaning of extension isn’t exactly the same as wing , but similar.

The same explanation can also be found here. We still get the same information about where my room is: on the west side of the building.

Polysemy — multiple meanings: wing — animal parts for flying & a section of a building.

The meaning of wing in this sentence refers to ‘a section of building’ and not ‘animal parts for flying’.

Synonymy vs. Polysemy

• In synonymy, you can substitute a word with its similar meaning and the sense/meaning of the sentence doesn’t change. A is similar to B .
• Synonyms are usually used as a means of avoiding word repetition. However, be careful of the slightly different meanings of synonymous words. Always be mindful of the context and valency of the sentence.
• Polysemy isn’t about word substitution. Because a single polysemic word has many meanings (A means B and C) , it can cause ambiguity. It is often used for wordplay or for creating “hidden” meanings.