If you are willing to go back aways, many words have alternative spellings with the same pronunciation. Take the fishy spelling of The Compleat Angler, for example. But some modern words have two current dramatically different spellings pronounced alike. One example is the spellings of controller and comptroller. In The Way We Live Now, Anthony Trollope has one character say vittles and another say victuals. Note that these are not homonyms because only one word is being spelled.
In saying «two quite different spellings,» I am trying to eliminate spelling variants such as today vs. to-day, colour vs. color, or the example I gave, complete vs. compleat. In such pairs, everyone would naturally pronounce the two spellings alike. That’s not the case with vittles vs. victuals, hiccup vs. hiccough, or controller vs. comptroller. Indeed, some people (not I) do not pronounce the last pair alike. So I do not believe that my question is in the same spirit as a previous question. Though there is a distinction to be made, it may be that English has no word for this distinction, and all that can be said is that the words I’m considering have extreme spelling variants.
tchrist♦
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asked Jan 27, 2017 at 18:07
16
«[A] word that has the same pronunciation as one or more other words but has different spelling or meaning» is a homophone.
Source:
www.homophones.ml
answered Apr 6, 2017 at 22:35
In your question you specify that they’re pronounced the same, and then specify that they are NOT pronounced the same, so I’m unsure which you mean.
Spelled differently and pronounced differently? Those are simply synonyms. Spelling variations on essentially the same word (different spelling, but same pronunciation and definition) would be alternate spellings, not unlike color/colour.
answered Jan 28, 2017 at 22:13
Stephen RStephen R
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There are inherently two forces in action:
the phenomenon of etymological doublets and differences in phono-orthographic spellings due either to a social or inter-linguistic transliteration.
Concerning the first, consider the doublets, ’emergence’ and ’emergency’. The two have a transparent etymology dating to the Latin etymon ’emergere’ — to give light to/appear. The meaning, and understanding, of the two words grew to differ perhaps on pragmatic grounds: one derivate of ’emergentia’ denoted an exigent matter coming to light while the converse denoted appearance of a certain property.
I believe in the exemplar you raised regarding comptroller and controller, they inherently emerge from the same Latin root. The demarcation arises when one considers ‘comptroller’ a portmanteau of the French verb ‘compter’, to count and ‘controlere’, to control. These are not homonyms, for this phrase implies that the two have the same orthography but differing meanings, nor homophones, due to the feasibly distinct phonologies of the respective words from an intermediate language.
answered Apr 8, 2018 at 10:43
I believe this could be considered a cognate within the same language. Your controller/comptroller example makes it even more interesting, as it then becomes a cognate within the same language, but of two different national dialects.
answered Jan 28, 2017 at 2:21
2
UNIT SEVEN
Ex. I, p. 230
P a t t e r n 1:1. There is hardly another hockey team of equal popularity. 2. There was hardly a world championship he missed. 3. There’s hardly a vacancy on our staff.
4.We have hardly got any more time but you can finish the composition off at home.
5.There was hardly a living soul at the stadium. 6. There is hardly any reason for their losing the game.
P a t t e r n 2:1. The coach made the athletes postpone their training. 2. The strangers made Roger drive up to the back yard, and he obeyed. 3. They will never make Andrew break his promise.
3.The conversation made her feel uneasy. 5. Nothing will make him break with his
bad habits, no matter what you are saying.
Ex. Ill, p. 231
1. There is hardly a country the old seaman hasn’t been to. 2. There is hardly another city with such a population as Tokyo/ with as big a population as in Tokyo. 3. They hardly had another opportunity to free the Gadfly. 4. There is hardly a person who doesn’t like puppet shows. 5. Horrible! There is hardly another word to describe my condition/to describe how I felt at that moment. 6. There was hardly a chess competition he missed. 7. There is hardly another coach as attentive and patient as this one. 8. What made your brother give up boxing? 9. The two young thieves mad Oliver climb through the window. 10. Dorian thought that nothing would make him break his promise to Sybil Vane. 11. The actor’s performance made the spectators not only feel but also think 12. What made Byron fight on the side of the Greeks? 13. Wha made Lanny return to Stilveld? 14. This episode made my sister laugh and upset/saddened me.
Ex. II, p. 239
more than/over a million tons, millions of people, two hundred lakes, 600 feet deep, hundreds of miles, the Thames is a! little over 200 miles long, hundreds of small islands, the total area of the United Kingdom is some/is about 94,250 square mile or 244,000 square kilometres and its population is/totals 5 million people
Ex. III, p. 239
the British Isles [ðeˏbrɪtɪʃ’aɪlz] Great Britain [ˏgreɪt ‘brɪtn]
Ireland [′aɪəənd]
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Irelan [ðɪ ju:’naɪtɪd ‘kɪƞdəm əv greɪt ‘brɪtn ənd ′nᴐ:ð(ə)n ′aɪələnd]
England [′ɪƞglənd] Wales [weɪlz]
Scotland [′skɒtlənd]
the Irish Republic [ðɪ ˏaɪrɪʃrɪ′pʌblɪk]
Eirefeiri [′eɪrɪ, ′e(ə)rə] Britain [‘brɪtn]
the Highlands [ðə ‘haɪləndz] Norway [′nᴐ:weɪ]
the Fens [ðə ‘fenz]
Holland (‘ hɒlənd] Manchester [‘mæntʃəstə] Sheffield [‘ʃefi:ld] Europe [ju:(ə)rəp]
the Straits of Dover [ðə ˏstreɪts əv ′dəᴜvə] France [frɑ:ns]
the North Sea [ðə ˏnᴐ:θ’si:] the Hebrides [ðə ′hebrɪdiz]
the Orkney Islands [ðiˏᴐ:kni′aɪlənds]
the Shetland Islands [ðə ˏʃetlənd ′aɪləndz] the Lowlands [ðə ‘ləᴜləndz]
the Bristol Channel [ðəˏbrɪstl′tʃænl] the Dee [ðə’di:]
the Mersey [ðə ‘mɜ:si] the Cheviots [ðə ‘tʃeviəts] thePennines[ðə’penaɪnz]
the Cumbrian Mountains [ðəˏkʌmbriən′maᴜntɪnz] the Lake District [ðə’ leɪkˏdɪstrɪkt]
the Cambrian Mountains [ðəˏkæmbriən′maᴜntɪnz] the Severn [ðə′sev(ə)n]
the Clyde [ðə ‘klaɪd]
the Thames [ðə′temz] the Tyne [ðə ‘teɪn] theTay [ðə ‘teɪ]
the Forth [ðə ‘fᴐ:θ]
the Bristol Avon [ðə brɪstl ‘eɪv(ə)n]
advantage [əd′vɑ:ntɪdʒ] преимущество; достоинство canal [kə’næl] канал
channel [′tʃænl] пролив
comparatively [kəm’ pærətɪvli] сравнительно, относительно desolate [‘desələt] пустынный, безлюдный
determine [dɪ’tɜ:mɪn] определять
estuary [‘estʃuəri, ‘estʃəri] устье (реки); дельта (реки)
extremely [ɪks’tri:mli] чрезвычайно, исключительно, необыкновенно и т.п. glorious [‘glᴐrɪəs] великолепный, прекрасный, восхитительный
heather [‘heðə] вереск
indentation [ˏɪnden’teɪʃ(ə)n] I. зубец, выемка; 2. углубление, извилина (берега) manufacture [ˏmænju’fæktʃə] изготавливать, производить
moor [mᴜə] пустошь
navigable [‘nævɪgəb(ə)l] судоходный occasionally [ə′keɪʒ(ə)nəli] время от времени plough [plaᴜ] 1. плуг; 2. пахать
scenery [‘si:nəri] 1. пейзаж; 2. декорация (-ии) strait [streɪt] пролив
total [‘təᴜtl] общий, совокупный vague [veɪg] смутный, неясный
value [′vælju:] 1. ценность, важность; 2. оценивать, давать оценку (в денежном выражении); ценить (что-л.), дорожить (чем-л.)
vary [′veəri] менять(ся), изменять(ся); разнообразить wander [′wɒndə] бродить; скитаться
wheat [wi:t] пшеница wind I [wɪnd] ветер
wind II [waɪnd] виться, извиваться (о дороге,реке и т.п.)
пахать — to plough, ploughed
течь — to flow, flowed, flowed, flowing
извиваться — to wind, wound [waund], wound, winding меняться — 1. to vary, varied, varied, varying; 2. to change,
changed,changed, changing бродить — 1. to roam, roamed, roamed, roaming; 2. to wander, wandered, wandered, wandering
ценить — 1. to value, valued, valued, valuing; 2. to
appreciate, appreciated, appreciated, appreciating снабжать — to supply, supplied, supplied, supplying ломать — to break, broke, broken, breaking выращивать — 1. to grow, grew, grown, growing; 2. to cultivate, cultivated, cultivated, cultivating deer — deer sheep — sheep fish — fish
mouth — mouths [maᴜðz] foot — feet
Ex. IV, p. 241
1. Shallow water is warmer than deep water. 2. Cornwall is famous for its rocky cliffs. 3. Its rich soil is deeply cultivated. 4. This part of the country is noted for severe/extreme cold. 5. The UK total area is some 94,250 square miles. 6. There are low-lying/flat fields in the east of England. 7. There are splendid harbours for ships. 8. In the Northern Highlands of Scotland you’ll enjoy the sight of wild/desolate mountains. 9. They were making their way through gentle/rolling/rounded hills. 10. There were vast plains stretching for miles and miles. 11. Lowlands is the central plain of Scotland.
Ex. VI, p. 241
1. Can you show the main/most important/major British ports on the map? 2. This map is of no great value. 3. Do you know where the river Severn flows/falls into? 4. Owing to constant rains the rivers of Britain give a good supply of fresh water. 5. What mountains separate England from Scotland? 6. North-east of /To the north-east of Scotland there are some islands. What are they called? 7. According to the map/Judging by the map the Isle of Man is comparatively regular in outline. 8. What can keep the crops from severe cold? 9. A comparatively large part of ploughland/arable land in the south-east of England is under wheat. 10. What area of the country are the large coal fields situated in? 11. Within a few miles of/A few miles from London is the town of Croydon where there is a large airport.
Ex. VII, p. 242
c)солнечный — sunny туманный — foggy дождливый — rainy снежный — snowy скалистый — rocky грязный — dirty дымный — smoky водянистый — watery холмистый
—hilly песчаный — sandy сахарный — sugary удлиненный — oblong, elongated предпочтительный — preferable ценный — valuable судоходный — navigable
заметный — noticeable отделимый — separable определимый — definable подходящий — suitable
d)variety-show — эстрадный концерт wheat-field — пшеничное поле coal-supplier — поставщик угля ploughman — пахарь
heather-moor — вересковая пустошь; пустошь, поросшая вереском horseshoe — подкова seashore — морской берег
seascape — 1. морской пейзаж; 2. красивый вид на море earthquake — землетрясение
deer-hunting — 1. охота на оленей; 2. охотящийся на оленей
wheat-growing — 1. выращивание пшеницы; 2. выращивающий пшеницу sheepbreeding — 1. овцеводство; 2. овцеводческий, разводящий овец
crop-gathering — 1. сбор урожая; 2. собирающий урожай land-ploughing — 1.
вспашка земли; 2. пашущий землю, пахотный
snow-ploughing — 1. уборка снега (машинная); 2. снегоуборочный (о технике) shipbuilding (yards) — судостроительные (верфи) leaf-bearing (trees) —
лиственные (деревья) nature-loving (nation) — любящий природу (народ) furbearing (animals) — пушные (звери) ocean-going (steamers) — океанские (суда) food-producing (industries)— пищевые (отрасли)
snow-covered (fields) —покрытые снегом/заснеженные (поля)
smoke-filled (room) — накуренная/задымленная (комната) man-made (canal) —
искусственный (канал) grass-covered (plain) — покрытая травой (равнина) see-
bound (ship) — идущий в море (корабль) weather-beaten (face) — обветренное (лицо) moonlit (path) — лунная (освещенная/залитая луной) (дорожка)
Ex. VIII, р. 242
1. Look at the map of the British Isles. Do you know what the two largest islands are called? —Great Britain and Ireland. 2. The right-hand side of the map is the East. What sea is east of Great Britain? — The North Sea. 3. In what direction is the Irish Sea from Great Britain? — It is (to the) west of Great Britain. 4. Point to the body of water which is west of Ireland. What do we call it? — The Atlantic Ocean. 5. Towards the bottom of the map is the South. What is towards the top of the map? — The North is. 6. In what direction is Great Britain from the English Channel? — Great Britain is (to the) north of the English Channel. 7. What country is west of England? — The Irish Republic is. 8. Find the Thames. Rivers always flow towards the sea. In what direction does the Thames flow? — It flows south-east. 9. The Severn flows into the Bristol Channel, doesn’t it? — Yes, it does. 10. Where does the Severn rise? — It rises in central Wales. 11. What do we call the highest pact of Scotland? — The Highlands. 12. Find Edinburgh and Glasgow. In what part of Scotland are they situated? — Edinburgh is situated in the south-east of Scotland, and Glasgow is in the south-west. 13. Where are the Cheviot Hills? — They stretch along the border between England and Scotland. 14. In what direction are the British Isles from the mainland? — They are (to the) west of the mainland. 15. What water body separates the British Isles from the Continent? — The English Channel does.
Ex, IX, p. 243
1. Market prices often vary. — Цены на рынке часто меняются.
I try to vary my diet. — Я стараюсь разнообразить свое питание.
Our opinions differ. — Наши мнения расходятся.
This word has two spelling variants. — Это слово можно писать двояко.
There are various reasons for my refusal. — У меня есть ряд причин для отказа.
I’ll give you various exercises on that rule. — Я дам вам несколько различных упражнений на это правило.
They are quite different people. — Они совершенно разные люди.
The novel describes the varied career of an adventurer. — В романе описывается пестрая карьера авантюриста.
You must have more variety in your food. — Вы должны питаться более разнообразно.
I’ve got some rare varieties of such stamps. — У меня есть несколько редких разновидностей таких марок.
There are some rare varieties of leaf-bearing trees in the park. — В парке есть несколько редких разновидностей лиственных деревьев.
2.The duel scene in «Hamlet» impressed us greatly. — Сцена дуэли в «Гамлете» произвела на нас сильное впечатление.
Her acting was wonderful in the last scene. — Она великолепно сыграла в последней сцене.
In the first act the scene is laid in France. — В первом акте; действие происходит во Франции.
Trafalgar was the scene of a famous battle between the British fleet and the combined French and Spanish fleets. — Именно у мыса Трафальгар произошло знаменитое сражение между английским флотом и объединенными флотами Франции и Испании.
I like the way this writer describes rural scenes. — Мне нравится, как у этого писателя описаны сцены сельской жизни.
You could see awful scenes after the earthquake. — После землетрясения можно было увидеть жуткие картины.
The scenery was impressive in the last act. — В последнем действии были эффектные декорации.
They have almost no scenery in that play. — В этой пьесе (у них) почти нет декораций.
I prefer plains to mountain scenery. — Мне больше нравится равнина, чем гористый ландшафт.
I looked out of the window enjoying the scenery. — Я посмотрел в окно,
наслаждаясь/любуясь открывающимся передо мною видом.
3. shallow water — мелководье a shallow dish —
мелкое блюдо
a shallow mind — поверхностный/неглубокий ум a shallow argument —
легковесный/несерьезный аргумент shallow interests — несерьезные интересы a shallow man/person — лекомысленный/пустой/несерьезный человек
4.the extreme end — самый (дальний) конец, крайняя точка
the extreme edge — самый (дальний) край the extreme border — самая дальняя граница in the extreme North — на Крайнем Севере extreme patience —
чрезвычайное терпение extreme love — невероятная любовь extreme kindness —
исключительная доброта extreme interest — чрезвычайный интерес to be extremely interested in smth. — чрезвычайно интересоваться чем-л. to be extremely sorry for smb. — жалеть кого-л. до глубины души
5. In our hall the students are supplied with all the necessary furniture and bedding. — У нас в общежитии студенты обеспечены всей необходимой мебелью и постельными принадлежностями.
Who will supply the expedition with all the necessary equipment? — Кто снабдит/обеспечит экспедицию всем необходимым оборудованием?
This shop has a large supply of winter coats. — В этом магазине есть большой запас зимних пальто (и курток).
These forests give a good supply of timber. — Эти леса служат хорошим источником древесины.
6. I don’t like the shape of his nose. — Мне не нравится форма его носа.
This sculpture hasn’t got much shape, I should say. — Я бы сказал, что эта скульптура какая-то бесформенная.
I want to get a brooch in the shape of a horseshoe. — Я хочу купить/хочу в подарок брошь в форме подковы.
Не had a ragged coat and a shapeless hat on. — На нем были драное пальто и потерявшая форму шляпа, shapely figure — красивая фигура
8. The literary value of that book is not great. — Литературная ценность этой книги невелика.
I don’t believe you realize the value of his advice. — Думаю, ты не осознаешь всю ценность его советов.
In some years his pictures will be of great value. — Через несколько лет его картины будут стоить очень дорого.
This book will be of no value in your studies. — Эта книга не даст вам ничего полезного для ваших исследований/занятий.
I greatly value his friendship. — Я высоко ценю его дружбу.
We all appreciate a holiday after a year of hard work. — Мы все понимаем,
насколько важен отдых после года тяжелого труда.
I greatly appreciate your kindness. — Я очень ценю вашу доброту.
Не valued the house for me at 800 pounds. — Я попросил его определить,
сколько стоит дом, и он оценил его в 800 фун тов.
It’s a valuable picture. — Это ценная картина.
Ex. X, р. 243
1. The English Channel in its narrowest part (the Strait(s) of Dover) is only 32 km wide. 2. The Highlands of Scotland is noted for its wild and desolate beauty. 3. The rivers of Great Britain are of no great value as waterways, some of them are joined by means of canals. 4. The relief of Great Britain varies to a remarkable degree. 5. They took advantage of their stay in London to brush up their English. 6. The chief grain crops ar oats and barley. 7. Rivers in England are seldom frozen. Harbours are ice-free. 8. Next to coal and iron, stone and slate are the most valuable minerals in England. 9. The rich soil of south-east England is well cultivated. 10. The Welsh Mountains are very rocky and difficult to climb. 11. The seas surrounding the Britis Isles are very shallow, usually less than 300 feet deep. 12. Britain’s complex geology is one of the main reasons for its rich variety of scenery. 13. In winter eastern Britain faces the colder continent whereas western Britain faces the comparatively warm Atlantic. 14. In most areas the farmer ploughs only the valley lands and the plains where soils are deeper and richer. 15. There are various types of wild vegetation, including the natural flora of woods, fens and marshes. 16. The Lake District is famous for its scenery.
Ex. XI, p. 244
1. Tom Ramsay spent two happy years in (many) different capitals of Europe. 2. Blodwyn, gazing at the dark shapes of mountains before her, knew that rain would fall before nighttime. 3. The semi circular windows were on the level of the floor. 4. He was roaming about/walking the streets with two pence in his pocket and nowhere to go for the night. 5. It was the string of pearls Miss Robinson was wearing and it was estimated at/was worth 50 thousand pounds. 6. Larry had a wonderfully melodious voice with a singular diversity of tone. 7. The children were grateful for the mechanical toys they had never seen before. 8. His hands were long but not large for his size, shapely and at the same time strong. 9. She is twenty years older than me. 10.Unlike the others both could speak good and fluent French. 11. They have just had a terrific row. 12. I used to roam about the sweetsmelling meadows in the evening. 13. He was not interested in your views on the social and moral importance of their relationship. 14. Though she had lost the fresh bloom of early youth, there was not a tine on her forehead or under her hazel eyes. 15. The climate is sufficiently diverse for both sub-tropical and sub-arctic plants to be grown in the compass of the British Isles. 16. The British farmer uses a relatively small tract of land producing all kinds of/different products. 17. Tom ran around and stopped a foot or two from the flower. 18. On account of/ Because of numerous’rapids the river is not navigable. 19. Julia Pendleton liked to sit cross-legged on the couch just to show her lovely legs in silk stockings.
Ex. XII, p. 244
Just off the coast of the mainland of north-western Europe and only nineteen miles distant from it at the nearest point lies the small group of islands known as the British Isles.
The British Isles include Great Britain, Ireland and a number of small islands. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales. The southern two thirds of Ireland are occupied by the Irish Republic which borders (on) Northern Ireland.
Great Britain is a region of varied lowlands, rolling hills and few mountains. Although the highest peak, Ben Nevis in the Grampians in Scotland, rises to 4,400 feet, such heights seldom occur. The Pennine Range in northern England rises only slightly over 3,000 feet, as do the Cambrian Mountains in Wales.
In the extreme south of England are the famed chalk hills some of which form the Dover Cliffs.
The rivers of the region are short and in general flow from the central and southern lowlands into the surrounding seas. Many of them are connected with each other by canals. The coasts of the British Isles are washed by the Atlantic Ocean, the Norwegian, North and Irish Seas and two big channels (the English Channel and the North Channel).
Ex. XV a), p. 245
Климат Великобритании определяют теплые течения Атлантического океана. Зимы здесь не отличаются суровыми холодами, а лето редко бывает жарким.
Количество осадков распределено равномерно в течение года.
Небо чаще всего Затянуто облаками, пасмурных дней бывает значительно больше, чем ясных; солнце как на побережье, так и во внутренних областях нередко скрыто туманом. Лондонские туманы, часто очень густые из-за примеси дыма — это явление называется смогом, — знамениты на весь мир, но такой славе едва ли стоит завидовать.
Ex. XVI, р. 245
1. Various people we had not expected turned up in the hall. 2. The Angara flows from Lake Baikal (and) into the Yenissey. 3. There is hardly an area in our country where crops are not cultivated/grown. 4. It’s amazing/It’s a wonder that there are so many fish in such a shallow lake/that such a shallow lake is a home of so many fish. 5. The eagle is a large strong bird with sharp/keen eyesight. It usually lives on cliffs or on mountain tops/on the tops of mountains. 6. The shape of this lonely cliff reminds me of an ancient tower. 7. If you had been able to keep/protect these tulips
from the heat, they wouldn’t have faded Iso quickly. 8. Mountain scenery can be found/occurs mainly in the south and east of our/ this country. 9. Many times he has seen reindeer wandering/ roaming about the tundra. 10. Children should be protected/kept from bad influence. 11. Nowadays you will hardly find any blank spaces on the map.
Ex. XVII, p. 246
a)1. The soil varies within a few miles in many districts, producing a sharp contrast of scenery and flora. 2. The climate of Great Britain differs greatly from that of the Continent. 3. The weather changes very often in England. 4. The face of Scotland differs from that of South East England. 5. The educational system of Great Britain differs from that of the United States. 6. Tastes differ. 7. He looked exactly as she remembered him, as young, as frank, but his expression was changed. 8. The average winter temperature varies between -3°C and -7°C. 9. What can have happened to change him so much? 10. That is a point on which you and she would certainly differ.
b)1. Russia has a varied climate because of its vast territory. 2. Various branches of industry are found in Greater London.
2. This good wheat land is quite different from those being cultivated in northern regions. 4. Britain is immensely varied within a small area. 5. The insect fauna in Britain is less varied than that of Continental Europe. 6. He has been to various places of the extreme North. 7. A glance at the map is enough to see how varied the surface of England is. 8. A home in the country is very different from an apartment in the city. 9. I have come across him in recent years on various occasions. 10. The young man asked me various kinds of questions. 11. The newspapers carried various reports of the storm. 12. What we wear nowadays is quite different from what our ancestors wore. 13. He started to teach me German. He would tell me the German for the various objects we passed, a cow, a horse, a man and so on, and then make me repeat simple German sentences. 14. Through many years of various conditions he kept thinking of his family. 15. Having tried various topics of conversation I felt exhausted.
c)1. She told Count Borcelli that her necklace was valued at eight thousand pounds. 2. Judging by his words he appreciates your help. 3. Being asked what he thought of a possible change in the plan he said he would appreciate it. 4. But I would not like him to think that I do not appreciate the honour that he has done me. 5. The picture is valued at a thousand dollars. 6. I suppose only a Frenchman can appreciate to the full the grace of Racine and the music of his verse. 7. Jane Austen’s work is to be valued primarily as satire. 8. Mr. Cook valued his secretary for her accuracy.
d)1. She stayed alone in her room refusing to come downstairs. 2. Theirs was a lonely house isolated by the mountains. 3. He felt miserable and lonely. 4. Alone in the house was Miss Sarie Villier. 5. Elliot in his well-cut dinner jacket looked elegant as he alone could look. 6. «Do you know that meeting you for the first time is to me like a lonely traveller coming across some bright flowerlet in the desert!» said
Today’s Wordle of the day for puzzle number 235 is a particularly difficult word for anyone from outside the USA.
The viral sensation Wordle has a brand new puzzle for February 9, 2022. Today’s word, however, may be a little bit difficult to figure out, especially if a player is not from the United States.
How To Play Wordle
Wordle is a free-to-play daily word game. Each day, players can head to the website and attempt to guess the five-letter word of the day. Fans have only six tries to guess the correct answer with the given clues before the puzzle is over. Here’s how the game works.
First, players head to the Wordle website. Next, they need to try out a five-letter word and hit enter. While there is a best strategy for getting the Wordle answer correct, players can choose whatever five-letter starting word they want, just so long as it is a real English word. Once players have selected the first word, they hit enter and the site will color-code the letter based on whether they are in the answer or not.
- Gray letters are not in the solution.
- When a letter turns green, this means it is both the correct letter and in the right spot in the word.
- Yellow letters appear in the puzzle, but they are in the wrong spot.
Given the clues from whatever word they have typed in, players have to guess the word of the day in only six tries.
Hints for the Wordle 235 for February 9, 2022
Today’s Wordle is an odd one, considering what many fans know about the game. Here are some hints to help players out with this doozy of a puzzle.
- Today’s word begins with an «H.»
- Unlike previous Wordle puzzles 232 and 233, this word has no double letters.
- It contains one «O.»
- This word has two spellings, depending on where a player lives.
- Today’s word also contains an «R.»
Answer for Wordle 235 for February 9, 2022
Many players were stumped with today’s puzzle, but not to worry. The answer is right below this image:
The answer to Wordle puzzle 235 is HUMOR.
Given that the viral Wordle website is a UK address, many fans on Reddit were confused that the game used the American spelling of the word HUMOR; to most English speakers, «HUMOUR» is a six-letter word. The reason behind this is that while the programmer of the game and owner of the website is British, the woman who made the word list that Wordle pulls from is an American. Therefore, players from outside the US should still expect the spelling of words to be the American versions.
Wordle is available for any browser.
MORE: Wordle 234 Answer for February 8, 2022
Source: Wordle
Spelling isn’t easy. It’s bad enough we have words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. On top of that, we have words that are spelled differently but mean the same thing! These are known as variant spellings.
What Are Variant Spellings?
Variant spellings occur when a word has more than one accepted spelling. This shouldn’t be confused with regional spellings (such as when the British spell “color” as “colour”). Nor is it quite the same as when a word has an old-fashioned, archaic spelling (such as when “jail” was spelled “gaol”).
A better example is “donut,” which is a modern variation of “doughnut.” The older spelling is still more common in American English, but “donut” has been catching up in recent years (primarily thanks to the success of Dunkin’ Donuts). Importantly, though, both are “correct” spellings of this word.
8 Words with Variant Spellings
Other examples of common words with variant spellings include:
1. Among/Amongst
This word has two accepted endings (similar terms include amid/amidst and while/whilst). The “-st” ending is much less common in American English.
2. Archaeology/Archeology
The older spelling here is the “ae” one, which is also more common (especially outside America).
There are other words in American English that allow the “ae” variation (e.g., esthetics/aesthetics). But with most similar terms, American English prefers the “e” version (e.g., encyclopedia, not encyclopaedia).
3. Axe/Ax
“Axe” is the most common spelling of this word, especially outside North America. But, in American English, “ax” is a common variant.
4. Collectible/Collectable
These spellings are both accepted in American English, but “collectible” is by far the most common.
5. Dialog/Dialogue
These are variations of the same word, but “dialog” is more common in relation to computing (e.g., dialog box) and “dialogue” is used when referring to two people talking.
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Similar spelling variations include analog/analogue (with “analog” more common in all contexts) and prolog/prologue (with “prologue” most common).
6. Disk/Disc
“Disk” is generally more common than “disc,” but there are some cases where this is reversed. For example, in computing, magnetic storage devices are spelled with a “k” (e.g., floppy disk), but optical storage devices (e.g., a CD or DVD) are “discs.”
7. Flyer/Flier
“Flyer” is the most common spelling here, but “flier” is also used (especially when referring to something that flies rather than a leaflet advertising something).
8. Usable/Useable
“Usable” is by far the most common spelling of this word, but “useable” is also accepted in all regional dialects of English. Nobody is quite sure why.
How to Handle Variant Spellings
The list above isn’t comprehensive, but it should give you an idea of what to look out for with variant spellings. Consistency is key with words like these, so pick one spelling and use it throughout your document.
It’s also vital to proofread your work to make sure everything is consistent (you can use the ‘Find’ function in Microsoft Word to look for variant spellings).
Beyond that, there are two things you can do when confronted with two spellings of the same word:
- Check your style guide (if you have one) to see if it specifies a preferred spelling
- Use Google’s n-gram viewer to check which spelling is more common
You can then use this to guide your choice about which spelling to use.
This word set can be confusing, even for word geeks. Let’s start with the basics. A homograph is a word that has the same spelling as another word but has a different sound and a different meaning:
lead (to go in front of)/lead (a metal)
wind (to follow a course that is not straight)/wind (a gust of air)
bass (low, deep sound)/bass (a type of fish)
A homophone is a word that has the same sound as another word but has a different meaning. Homophones may or may not have the same spelling. Here are some examples:
to/two/too
there/their/they’re
pray/prey
Not so bad, right? The ending –graph means drawn or written, so a homograph has the same spelling. The –phone ending means sound or voice, so a homophone has the same pronunciation. But here’s where it gets tricky. Depending on whom you talk to, homonym means either:
A word that is spelled like another but has a different sound and meaning (homograph); a word that sounds like another but has a different spelling and meaning (homophone)
OR
A word that is spelled and pronounced like another but has a different meaning (homograph and homophone)
So does a homonym have to be both a homograph and a homophone, or can it be just one or the other? As with most things in life, it depends on whom you ask.
In the strictest sense, a homonym must be both a homograph and a homophone. So say many dictionaries. However, other dictionaries allow that a homonym can be a homograph or a homophone.
With so many notable resources pointing to the contrary, are we losing this strict meaning? What then will we call a word that is spelled and pronounced the same as another but has a different meaning? If homonym retains all these meanings, how will readers know what is actually meant?
The careful writer would do well to follow the strict sense, ensuring his meaning is understood immediately.
homograph
Use the noun homograph to talk about two words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and are sometimes pronounced differently — like sow, meaning «female pig,» and sow, «to plant seeds.» Continue reading…
homonym
Can you spot the homonyms in the sentence «The baseball pitcher drank a pitcher of water»? A homonym is a word that is said or spelled the same way as another word but has a different meaning. «Write” and “right” is a good example of a pair of homonyms. Continue reading…
homophone
A homophone is a word that sounds the same as another word but has a different meaning and/or spelling. “Flower” and “flour” are homophones because they are pronounced the same but you certainly can’t bake a cake using daffodils. Continue reading…