Word that have the same spelling but different meaning

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.

In linguistics, homonyms are words which are either homographs – words that have the same spelling (regardless of pronunciation) – or homophones – words that have the same pronunciation (regardless of spelling) –, or both.^[1] Using this definition, the words row (propel with oars), row (a linear arrangement) and row (an argument) are homonyms because they are homographs (though only the first two are homophones): so are the words see (vision) and sea (body of water), because they are homophones (though not homographs).

A more restrictive and technical definition requires that homonyms be simultaneously homographs and homophones^[1] – that is to say they have identical spelling and pronunciation, but with different meanings. Examples are the pair stalk (part of a plant) and stalk (follow/harass a person) and the pair left (past tense of leave) and left (opposite of right).

A distinction is sometimes made between true homonyms, which are unrelated in origin, such as skate (glide on ice) and skate (the fish), and polysemous homonyms, or polysemes, which have a shared origin, such as mouth (of a river) and mouth (of an animal).^[2][3]

The relationship between a set of homonyms is called homonymy, and the associated adjective is homonymous, homonymic, or in latin, equivocal.

The adjective «homonymous» can additionally be used wherever two items share the same name,^[4][5] independent of how closely they are or are not related in terms of their meaning or etymology. For example, the name Ōkami is homonymous with the Japanese term for «wolf» (ōkami).

EtymologyEdit

The word homonym comes from the Greek ὁμώνυμος (homonymos), meaning «having the same name»,^[6] compounded from ὁμός (homos) ‘common, same, similar’^[7] and ὄνομα (onoma) ‘name’.^[8]

Edit

Term	Meaning	Spelling	Pronunciation
Homonym	Different	Same	Same
Homograph	Different	Same	(No requirement)
Homophone word	Different	(No requirement)	Same
Homophone phrase	Different	Different	Same to varying degree
Heteronym	Different	Same	Different
Heterograph	Different	Different	Same
Polyseme	Different but related	Same	(No requirement)
Capitonym	Different when capitalized	Same except for capitalization	(No requirement)
Synonym	Same	Different	Different
Antonym	Opposite	Different	Different
Auto-antonym	Opposite	Same	(No requirement)
Synophone	Different	Different	Similar[9]
Cognate	Same	Similar	Similar

Euler diagram showing the relationships between homonyms (between blue and green) and related linguistic concepts.

Several similar linguistic concepts are related to homonymy. These include:

• Homographs (literally «same writing») are usually defined as words that share the same spelling, regardless of how they are pronounced.^{[note 1]} If they are pronounced the same then they are also homophones (and homonyms) – for example, bark (the sound of a dog) and bark (the skin of a tree). If they are pronounced differently then they are also heteronyms – for example, bow (the front of a ship) and bow (a ranged weapon).
• Homophones (literally «same sound») are usually defined as words that share the same pronunciation, regardless of how they are spelled.^{[note 2]} If they are spelled the same then they are also homographs (and homonyms); if they are spelled differently then they are also heterographs (literally «different writing»). Homographic examples include rose (flower) and rose (past tense of rise). Heterographic examples include to, too, two, and there, their, they’re. Due to their similar yet non-identical pronunciation in American English, ladder and latter do not qualify as homophones, but rather synophones.^[10]
• Heteronyms (literally «different name») are the subset of homographs (words that share the same spelling) that have different pronunciations (and meanings).^{[note 3]} Such words include desert (to abandon) and desert (arid region); tear (to rip) and tear (a drop of moisture formed in one eye); row (to argue or an argument) and row (as in to row a boat or a row of seats – a pair of homophones). Heteronyms are also sometimes called heterophones (literally «different sound»).
• Polysemes are words with the same spelling and distinct but related meanings. The distinction between polysemy and homonymy is often subtle and subjective, and not all sources consider polysemous words to be homonyms. Words such as mouth, meaning either the orifice on one’s face, or the opening of a cave or river, are polysemous and may or may not be considered homonyms.
• Capitonyms are words that share the same spelling but have different meanings when capitalized (and may or may not have different pronunciations). Such words include polish (make shiny) and Polish (from Poland); march (walk in step) and March (the third month of the Year) and the pair: reading (using a book) and Reading (towns in, among other places, England).

Further examplesEdit

A homonym which is both a homophone and a homograph is fluke, meaning:

• A fish, and a flatworm.
• The end parts of an anchor.
• The fins on a whale’s tail.
• A stroke of luck.

These meanings represent at least three etymologically separate lexemes, but share the one form, fluke.*^[11] Fluke is also a capitonym, in that Fluke Corporation (commonly referred to as simply «Fluke») is a manufacturer of industrial testing equipment.

Similarly, a river bank, a savings bank, a bank of switches, and a bank shot in the game of pool share a common spelling and pronunciation, but differ in meaning.

The words bow and bough are examples where there are two meanings associated with a single pronunciation and spelling (the weapon and the knot); two meanings with two different pronunciations (the knot and the act of bending at the waist), and two distinct meanings sharing the same sound but different spellings (bow, the act of bending at the waist, and bough, the branch of a tree). In addition, it has several related but distinct meanings – a bent line is sometimes called a ‘bowed’ line, reflecting its similarity to the weapon. Even according to the most restrictive definitions, various pairs of sounds and meanings of bow, Bow and bough are homonyms, homographs, homophones, heteronyms, heterographs, capitonyms and are polysemous.

• bow – a long stick with horse hair that is used to play certain string instruments such as the violin
• bow – to bend forward at the waist in respect (e.g. «bow down»)
• bow – the front of the ship (e.g. «bow and stern»)
• bow – a kind of tied ribbon (e.g. bow on a present, a bowtie)
• bow – to bend outward at the sides (e.g. a «bow-legged» cowboy)
• Bow – a district in London
• bow – a weapon to shoot projectiles with (e.g. a bow and arrow)

A lime can refer to a fruit or a material. A mold (mould) can refer to a fungus or an industrial cast.

The words there, their, and they’re are examples of three words that are of a singular pronunciation, have different spellings and vastly different meanings. These three words are commonly misused (or, alternatively, misspelled).

• there – «The bow shot the arrow there,» he said as he pointed.
• their – «It was their bow and arrow.» the Mother said.
• they’re – They’re not going to get to shoot the bow again after puncturing the tire (tyre) on Daddy’s car. (Contraction of They and Are.)

The words metal and mettle are polysemes and homophones, but not homographs.

Homonyms in historical linguisticsEdit

Homonymy can lead to communicative conflicts and thus trigger lexical (onomasiological) change.^[12] This is known as homonymic conflict. This leads to a species of informal fallacy of thought and argument called by the latin name equivocation.

See alsoEdit

Look up homonym in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• False friends, words from different languages that appear similar but differ in meaning
• Synonyms, different words with identical or very similar meanings (conceptual inversion of «homonym»)
• Riddle
• Word play

NotesEdit

ReferencesEdit

Further readingEdit

• Christman, Robert (2002). Homonyms: Why English Suffers (Paperback). Las Cruces, New Mexico: Barbed Wire Publishing. ISBN 9780971193055.
• Hobbs, James B. (November 2014). Homophones and Homographs: An American Dictionary (E-book) (4th ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 9781476603933.
• Joshi, Manik (June 25, 2014). Homonyms, Homophones and Homographs (E-book). Manik Joshi. ISBN 9781468948554.
• Rothwell · 2007, David (2007). Dictionary of Homonyms (Paperback). Ware England: Wordsworth Reference. ISBN 9781840225426.

This is the second blog post in a three-part series on the relationships between the pronunciation of English words and their spellings. Follow the links for part one of the series on Silent Letters and part three on the Sound System of American English.

As mentioned in the previous blog post, it often happens that the spelling of an English word doesn’t match up well with its pronunciation. There’s another category of word that can also cause confusion; these are words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings. These words are called “homophones”. If you memorize the most common homophones in English, then you will avoid a lot of potential confusion in your communications. An added bonus of memorizing common homophones is that you will be able to easily understand many jokes, puns, and plays on words that you encounter (or even spice up your conversations by creating such plays on words yourself!)

Without further ado, here is a chart of some of the most common sets of homophones in English. Remember, all of the words in the left column are pronounced the same way. That is, if you say “ate, eight” out loud, then it should sound exactly the same as if you said “ate, ate” or “eight, eight”.

Spelling:	Pronounced:
ad, add	ad
Adam, atom	AD-um
air, err, heir	air
aisle, isle, I’ll	AI-ull
aloud, allowed	uh-LOUD
altar, alter	ALL-ter
ant, aunt	ant
assent, ascent	uh-SENT
ate, eight	ate
bail, bale	bale
ball, bawl	bawl
band, banned	band
bazaar, bizarre	buh-ZAR
bare, bear	bare (rhymes with “air”)
base, bass (instrument)	base (rhymes with “ace”)
be, bee	bee
beat, beet	beet
berry, bury	berry
bin, been	bin
billed, build	bild
bite, byte	byte
blew, blue	bloo
board, bored	bord
brake, break	brake
buy, by, bye	by
carrot, karat	KARE-ut
cell, sell	sell
cent, sent, scent	sent
cereal, serial	serial
chili, chilly, Chile	chill-ee
chews, choose	chooz
cite, site, sight	site
close, clothes	kloz
core, corps	kor
course, coarse	korss
creek, creak	creek
cue, queue	kyoo
days, daze	daze
deer, dear	deer
die, dye	dye
do, due, dew	doo
fair, fare	fare
faze, phase	faze
finish, Finnish	finish
find, fined	find
feudal, futile	FYU-dul
flea, flee	flee
feat, feet	feet
flower, flour	FLOW-er (“flow” rhymes with “cow”)
for, four	for
fowl, foul	FOW-ul
great, grate	grate
groan, grown	grone
Greece, grease	grees
guest, guessed	gest (rhymes with “best”)
gym, Jim	jim
hair, hare	hair
hall, haul	hawl
heal, heel	heel
hear, here	heer
heed, he’d	heed
herd, heard	herd
him, hymn	him
hire, higher	hi-er
hole, whole	hol
horse, hoarse	horse
hostel, hostile	HAHST-ul
hurts, hertz	herts
I, eye	AI
in, inn	in
intense, intents	intense
jewels, joules	joolz
lessen, lesson	less-in
maid, made	made
mail, male	male
manner, manor	manner
meat, meet	meet
metal, medal, meddle	MED-ul
need, knead	need
new, knew	noo
no, know	no
nose, knows	noz
not, knot	not
nun, none	nun
oh, owe	oh
one, won	wun
or, oar	or
our, hour	ow-er
pail, pale	pale
pair, pare, pear	pare
past, passed	past
peace, piece	peese
peer, pier	peer
plane, plain	plane
poll, pole	poll
pour, pore	pore
prince, prints	prins
principal, principle	PRINCE-i-pul
profit, prophet	PRAH-fit
rain, rein, reign	rane
rap, wrap	rap
red, read	red
right, write, rite, wright	rite
ring, wring	ring
road, rode, rowed	rode
roll, role	roll
root, route	root
sail, sale	sale
sea, see	see
seam, seem	seem
seas, sees, seize	seez
seen, scene	seen
seller, cellar	seller
side, sighed	side
so, sow, sew	so
sole, soul, Seoul	sole
some, sum	sum
son, sun	sun
stair, stare	stare
steal, steel	steel
sweet, suite	sweet
sword, soared	sord
tail, tale	tale
taught, taut	tawt
tear (meaning: drop of water), tier	teer
tear (meaning: rip), tare	tair
tense, tents	tense
there, their, they’re	thair
threw, through	threw
thrown, throne	throne
tie, Thai	tye
to, too, two	too
tow, toe	toe
vain, vein	vain
way, weigh	way
wait, weight	wait
weather, whether	wether
week, weak	week
where, wear, ware	ware
which, witch	witch
whose, who’s	hooz
will, we’ll	will
wood, would	wood
wore, war	wore
worn, warn	worn
your, you’re	yer

Do you have further questions about American English, or are you interested in accent training? Reach out and contact me!

Homographs are words that have the same form but have different meanings. That means that they look or are spelled the same. But depending on the context in which they are used, they mean differently.

Homographs can be one of the most confusing things to encounter if you are not a native English speaker. You may be reading an article or a book, then you see a word you thought you knew the meaning of. But in what you are reading, it does not make any sense!

The best way to master homographs is to understand their different meanings so that they make sense when you come across them in different texts. Here are 14 homographs that you are likely to run into, the different meanings they can take, and examples of how they are used for each definition.

Address

As a noun, address refers to (1) the particulars of a place where someone or something is situated. It can also mean (2) a formal speech delivered to an audience, such as announcing, presenting, etc.

As a verb, address can be defined as three different things: (3) to write the name and address of an intended recipient of a letter, package, etc., (4) to speak to a person formally, or (5) to think about and deal with an issue or problem.

Examples:

1. I need the address of Uncle Tom, so I know where to send the mail.
2. The president gave his State of the Nation Address last week.
3. Mary addressed the letter to Troy, her new pen pal.
4. I always address my professors with respect; I often call them “Sir” or “Ma’am” when talking to them.
5. We found three issues on the website that we need to address.

Balance

Balance as a noun can mean (1) the even distribution of the weight of an object, (2) a condition where elements are equal in proportion (e.g., stability of one’s mental health), (3) the apparatus for weighing, or (4) a figure (number) that represents the difference between credits and debits in an account.

As a verb, balance can be defined as (5) keeping something in a steady position, so it does not fall, (6) comparing the value of things, or (7) comparing debits and credits to make sure they are equal.

Examples:

1. You have to keep your balance so that you do not fall.
2. People must keep a good balance between work and their personal lives.
3. She placed the objects on balance to see if they both weigh the same.
4. You still have a balance of $34 in your account.
5. I watched a lady on television balance an apple on her head for five minutes straight!
6. You have to balance the pros against the cons of taking this project.
7. Every year, our accountant has to balance the books to make sure all of our finances are correct.

Content

As a noun, content means (1) the substance of a website, article, etc., or (2) something that is contained (usually as “contents,” i.e., in plural). It also refers to (3) the state of being contented or satisfied as an adjective and (4) the action of appeasing one’s desires into contentment as a verb.

Examples:

1. There is a lot of free content online.
2. She threw away the contents of her bag after her hand lotion spilled all over everything.
3. Hannah is perfectly content with her life in the country.
4. The group contented themselves with a big dinner and a couple of drinks.

Date

Date can refer to (1) the time something happens, (2) an appointment to meet at a specific time (or to set such an appointment), usually in a romantic sense, or (3) to mark with a date as defined by (1).

Examples:

1. May 12, 2007, is a special date for me because it was the day my father came home from the military.
2. I have a date with the girl I met at the coffee shop the other day.
3. The package was dated September 5th, so delivery was very slow.

Even

The word even can mean (1) having a horizontal surface or (2) being equal or fair. It is also often used as an adverb to emphasize different sentences by stressing (3) an unlikely instance or (4) a comparison.

Examples:

1. I do not think the table is even because my keys keep slipping.
2. There was an even split of responsibilities within the team.
3. The task is so simple even a toddler can do it.
4. Carrie did an even better job than Perry.

Just

Just, as an adjective, means similar to (1) right or fair, especially in the moral sense. As an adverb, it is used the same way as (2) exactly, (3) very recently, (4) by a little, or (5) only.

Examples:

1. We aim to live in a just and democratic society.
2. This cake is just what I needed to be in a good mood.
3. She just left the cafe before you arrived.
4. Marcel won the competition by just five points.
5. We went out for drinks just because Angela wanted to.

Lead

To lead means to (1) cause someone or something to move by your guidance or (2) to have the top place in a competition. As a noun, it can refer to (3) the chief part in a play or movie, (4) the leash that is used to guide pets, or (5) the metal that is commonly found in pencils.

Examples:

1. The usher will lead you to your seat.
2. My team was led by five points before our star player was taken out because of an injury.
3. Tessa is playing the lead in the play: Lady Macbeth.
4. Polly bought her dog’s new leads so they could walk in the park again.
5. My parents always warned me to be careful of the lead-in pencils.

Minute

The word minute is often associated with time, referring to (1) a period of sixty seconds in an hour. But it can also refer to (2) a summarized record of the proceedings in a meeting. As an adjective, it also means (3) extremely small (in this way, it is pronounced as “my-nyut”).

1. Give me thirty minutes to get ready.
2. Bree is the secretary, so she is in charge of taking down the minutes of the meeting.
3. There is a very minute chance that Ella will move to Europe.

One

One is (1) the first number in the cardinal system. But the word can also be used as an adjective to describe something that is (2) unified.

Examples:

1. Greg has one daughter and one son, so two children in total.
2. We are one team, and we must play like it!

Play

Play is a verb that means (1) to engage in an activity for enjoyment and recreation, (2) to take part in a sport, or (3) to perform a musical instrument. But it can also be a noun that refers to (4) a theatrical work for the stage.

Examples:

1. The kids are playing in the garden.
2. Pedro plays basketball every afternoon at the gym.
3. Jenna plays the harp very beautifully.
4. My wife and I will watch a play called “The Family” tonight at our local theatre.

Record

The noun record refers to (1) a thing that holds evidence of the past or (2) a thin disk that carries the music. On the other hand, as a verb, record means (3) to set everything in writing or (4) to convert sound into permanent form, particularly for later reproduction.

Examples:

1. My mom keeps a record of all my school achievements in a neat scrapbook.
2. I found a record of Michael Jackson’s album in my parents’ things.
3. The stenographer records everything that has been said in the courtroom then prints them out later on.
4. We recorded my grandfather’s voice and placed it in a music box for my grandmother.

Sign

As a noun, the word sing refers to (1) an object or event whose presence indicates the occurrence of something else or (2) a gesture used to convey information. As a verb, sign means (3) to use actions to convey a message or (5) to affix one’s signature.

Examples:

1. My boyfriend gives me gifts as a sign of his love.
2. There is a sign that says, “Do not cross..”
3. She signed to me saying that she wanted to leave.
4. Please sign at the bottom of the page to give your consent.

Top

The word top can refer to (1) the highest point of something, (2) a lid, cover, or cap, or (3) a traditional spinning toy. It can also mean (4) the highest position if used as an adjective. Top can also be used as a verb, meaning (5) to be more than or (6) to provide with a topping (i.e., in cooking).

Examples:

1. My lifelong dream is to reach the top of Mount Everest.
2. Remember to put the top on the jar before you place it in the fridge.
3. My grandmother gave me her old top, and I have just been spinning it the whole day.
4. Mr. Roberts is the top boss at the company, so we have to treat him with the utmost respect.
5. She topped the list of examinees this year.
6. Ollie topped the cake with some icing and sprinkles.

Watch

To watch means (1) to look at or observe something for a long time. But it can also refer to (2) a small timepiece typically worn on one’s wrist.

Examples:

1. Would you like to watch a movie with me?
2. I am giving my brother a new watch for his birthday because he is always late!

Homographs can be confusing. But it can be made easier with the right guidance from a teacher. LingualBox, a one-on-one English tutoring platform, has many professional tutors who can help you master the English language. Book a class today to get started!

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Homonyms are words that share the same pronunciation but different meanings. Some homonyms share the same spellings whereas some don’t. Before moving on to discuss more details about homonyms, let us first briefly look at other linguistic categories of words.

Homophones: words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings and spellings

Homograph: words that have the same spellings but different meanings.

Heteronyms: words that have the same spellings, but different pronunciation and meaning

Term	Spelling	Pronunciation	Meaning
Homonym	same or different	same	different
Homophone	different	same	different
Homograph	same	same or different	different
Heteronyms	same	different	different

You’ll note from the above definitions that homonyms contain qualities of both homophones (words having the same pronunciation, regardless of their spelling) and homographs (words that share the same spelling, regardless of their pronunciation). Homonyms are simultaneously both homographs and homophones. The relationship between a set of homonyms is known as homonymy.

The relation between homonyms and other word categories can be closely observed from the diagram below.  The area between blue and green indicates homonyms.

Examples of Homonyms

Homonyms that have the same spelling (homographs)

Bank (financial establishment/ river bank)

He was the president of the bank.

He went to the river bank.

Bear (animal/tolerate)

The bear came closer.

I can’t bear this anymore.

Fast (quick/ abstain from food)

Don’t drive fast.

Don’t break your fast.

Fair (reasonable/public gathering)

He is a fair judge.

We went to the country fair.

Homonyms that have different spelling (homophones)

Dear/deer

He is very dear to me.

The lion chased a deer.

Root/route

The root of the tree absorbs water and necessary nutrients.

They changed the route at the last minute.

Serf/surf

The serf was punished by the feudal lord.

He loves to surf.

Allowed/aloud

Pets are not allowed inside.

‘Watch out’ he shouted aloud.

Straight/strait

She had straight black hair.

The Strait of Gibraltar is the entry point into the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean.

Stair/stare

She came up the stairs.

She stares at him in amazement.

Meddle/medal

Don’t meddle in their affair.

She won a gold medal.

From the above examples, it becomes clear that a homonym can be either a homophone or a homograph.

Homonyms in Literature

Given below are some excerpts from literature where homonyms have been used.

“Sole owner am I of this sorry soul…

pour out corruption’s slag from every pore—

whole slates scrape clean! they leave no gaping hole.

(Where Truth’s Wind Blew by Venicebard)

HAMLET: I will speak to this fellow.—Whose grave’s this, sirrah?

GRAVEDIGGER Mine, sir.

HAMLET: I think it be thine, indeed, for thou liest in ’t.

GRAVEDIGGER: You lie out on ’t, sir, and therefore it is not yours. For my part, I do not lie in ’t, and yet it is mine.

HAMLET: Thou dost lie in ’t, to be in ’t and say it is thine. ‘Tis for the dead, not for the quick. Therefore thou liest.

(Hamlet by William Shakespeare)

Homonym – Summary

• Homonyms are words that share the same pronunciation but different meanings, regardless of their spelling.

• Homonym can be either a homophone or a homograph.

Image Courtesy:

“Homograph homophone Venn diagram” by Homograph_homophone_venn_diagram.png: Will Heltsleyderivative  (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons 

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.

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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

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Related Posts

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. )

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