Word which sound the same but are spelt differently

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!

The English language doesn’t make it easy to have flawless writing. In fact, it can be downright complicated especially with the number of words that sound the same, but have a different spelling and a different meaning.  If writing in English is  your job or some aspect of your job, it is so important to have all t’s crossed and i’s dotted. This is the hallmark of a good transcriber and a good writer.  Because of words that are pronounced the same but have a different spelling, a writer can create confusion for the reader and reflect poorly on the writer’s skills if  those pesky words are not caught during proofreading.

Words that sound the same, but are spelled differently are  homonyms, a great sounding word for a quirky little part of the English language meant  to slip up the average spellcheck on your computer. You must be hyper-vigilent for the possibilities of these little words slipping in and ruining what may have been a perfectly good document or transcription.

I’ve listed a few words here (or is it hear?) that are common culprits. Let’s have a go at this –words with the  same sound,  different spelling:

Pear           Pare              Pair

Be               Bee

Lye              Lie

Fair             Fare

Bass            Base

Bow             Bough

Lead             Led

Too               To                 Two

Their            There           They’re

Mail              Male

Plane            Plain

Genes           Jeans

Deer              Dear

Hear              Here

Right            Write

Dye                Die

Week            Weak

Prey              Pray

Bridal           Bridle

Site                Cite                Sight

Principle      Principal

Buy                Bye

Yes, these are just a few of the  little words that can trip up any  simple spellcheck. I’m sure you can add more. Happily, there are some grammar and spellcheck programs that can ferret out homonyms. Still, good transcribers and writers should be on the lookout for  the homonym when proofreading. As with any other grammatical or spelling error, there is always the chance that a homonym may sneak through. Flawless is what we aim for in our writing, certainly in any transcription business, and one homonym can ruin that.

So, the lesson in this writing is transcribers and writers must remain alert for the spoilers, the homonyms, the unique words that sound the same, but have a different spelling and a different meaning. They can be the weak (or is it week?) spot in your writing.

Write On!

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• Do you no wear my sun is?
• Eye think his hear.
• Oh, know. His their.

Does the above dialogue make sense to you? If not, read it aloud.
When pronounced, the words will sound exactly the same as in this dialogue:

• Do you know where my son is?
• I think he’s here.
• Oh, no. He’s there.

’No’ is pronounced just like ’know’, ’wear’ is just like ’where’, and so on.

Words like these – that are pronounced the same, but differ in meaning – are called homophones.

You might not pay too much attention to them while speaking, however, when it comes to writing, you may end up making some funny mistakes if you mix up two homophones that are spelled differently.

• Thank you for the fantastic dinner. It was lovely to meat your wife.

Can you spot the mistake? I hope you won’t make it the next time you want to send a thank you card.

^{In the following lesson, you’ll find sentences and pictures (thanks to Pablo Stanley and Kaplan International. You can check the original images here and here and also discover how you can study English abroad) to help you remember how to spell some of the most common homophones.}

1. AIR/HEIR

air
oxygen and other gases that we breathe in

• It’s spring. Love is in the air and the birds are singing.

heir
the person who is next in line in a family and inherits something

• When the new royal heir is born, hundreds of balloons are sent up in the air to celebrate the event.

2. AISLE/ISLE

aisle
a passageway between seats in rows

• Would you like a window or an aisle seat?
• An aisle seat, please. I wouldn’t like to sit next to the window, I’m afraid of heights.

isle
a small island

• They’re planning to build an airport on the isle. I think it’s a fantastic idea.

3. BALD/BAWLED 

BALD
someone who has no hair on his head is bald

• Will you love me if I go bald?
• Don’t worry. Look at how handsome Bruce Willis is. And he is bald.

BAWLED
past form of ’bawl’, it means ’cry loudly’

• When I realized I was going bald, I bawled liked a child. I don’t want to look like Captain Picard from Star Trek.
• You shouldn’t have bawled so hard. Captain Picard is really cool.

4. BAND/BANNED
BAND

• I’d like to form a rock band. Can you play any musical instruments?

BANNED
(ban-banned-banned) to prohibit, not allow

• I’d love to be in a rock band, but I thought you were banned from playing loud music in the house.

5. BARE/BEAR

BARE
naked, not covered

• Susy was wearing a daring dress at the party. It revealed her bare legs.

BEAR
a big animal with dark brown coat that lives in woods and eats smaller animals and fruit

• I took my son to the zoo to see the new baby bear. He loved it. I think I’ll get him a Teddy bear for his next birthday.

6. BE / BEE

BE
exist (am,is,are,was,were,been)

• I’d like to be famous one day.

BEE
a flying, stinging insect that makes honey

• I wonder what it’s like to be a bee. Bees seem to be working all day.

7. BREAK/BRAKE

BREAK
smash something by dropping, bending or damaging it somehow

• You’ll break something if you keep playing football in the living room. Can you stop it, please?

BRAKE
a device to make a car go slower/stop

• I’ll have to get my brakes checked. I think there’s something wrong with them.
• Is the garage open on Sunday? I don’t want you to crash the car.

8. BORED/BOARDBORED
not interested in your current activity

• I’m bored with you. Are homophones the only thing you can talk about?

BOARD
a flat piece of wood on which you can write, play a game or do sports like surfing, skateboarding etc.

• Whenever the teacher goes to the whiteboard and writes something on it, the students start chatting.

9. BUY/BY

BUY
getting something for money

• I’d like to buy a piano, but my husband doesn’t really like the idea.

BY
through, via

• Do you go to work by car?
• No, I can’t drive. I always go by train.

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More for you:
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10. CELL/SELL

CELL
a room in a prison/ the smallest part of an organism

• How many cells are there in a human body?

SELL
giving something to somebody in return for money

• I’ve decided to sell my house and move to Australia.

11. CENT/SCENT

CENT
1/100th of a dollar

• They don’t deserve a cent after what they have done to you.

SCENT
smell, odour, fragrance

• Could you feel the scent of jasmine in the garden? It was so lovely.

12. CLAWS/CLAUSE

CLAWS
a sharp, curvy structure at the end of the paws of animals

• I’m not sure if I should trim my cat’s rear claws. Do you know anything about cats?

CLAUSE
a section of a legal document

• Don’t sign that contract before you read and understand every word and clause!

13. CURRENT/CURRANT

CURRENT
happening/existing now

• Are you happy in your current job?
• Yes, I am. My current employer is much nicer than the previous one.

CURRANT
small, black or red berry that grows on bushes

• Would you like some ice-cream with your blackcurrants?
• I’d love some, thanks. Ice-cream and currants are my idea of heaven.

14. DEAR/DEER

DEAR
loved and valued

• You are my dearest friend, you know.
• Am I? You’re dear to me as well.

DEER
an animal with hooves and antlers that lives in the woods

• I had venison steak for lunch.
• What’s venison?
• Oh dear, you don’t know?  It’s deer meat.

15. DIE/DYE DIE
stop living

• My dog’s very old. I’m afraid he’ll die soon.

DYE
to colour materials or hair

• I’m thinking of dying my hair. Should I dye it blue or pink?
• I think your parents will just die if you show up with pink hair.
• Right, I’ll dye it blue then.

16. FAIR/FARE

FAIR
honest/ consistent with rules/ light in colour, clear

• Mum, that’s not fair! I did the washing up yesterday. It’s Jack’s turn today.

FARE
money you pay for transportation

• I can’t visit my parents very often. The train fare is too expensive.

17. FLEE/FLEA

FLEE
run away from danger

• If I was a bit younger, I’d flee this boring town and move to the capital.

FLEA
a small insect that lives in the fur of animals

• Do you think fleas go into human hair?
• Well, a flea may jump on it if you’re around animals, but I don’t think it would like it there.

18. FLOUR/FLOWER

FLOUR
white powder-like foodstuff that’s obtained by grinding grains

• Can you buy some flour on your way home? I’d like to make pizza for dinner.
• Of course I will. I would do anything to have pizza for dinner.

FLOWER
the most beautiful part of plants that blossoms and smells nice

• You should make your wife breakfast in bed a few times every month. And don’t forget to lay a single flower on the tray before you serve it.

19. GRIZZLY/GRISLY

GRIZZLY
a big, brown bear that lives in North America

• Would you like to come trekking with us? We’re going to the Rockies.
• You must be joking. What will you do if you bump into a grizzly?

GRISLY
unpleasant and frightening

• Did you see those black and white photos in her living room?
• Yeah, they’re rather grisly, aren’t they? Especially the one with the zombies.

20. GUERRILLA/GORILLA

GUERRILLA
a member of a small group of irregular soldiers

• Guerrilla warfare has had a big impact on the area. It’s not a safe place to go on holiday anymore.

GORILLA
the largest and strongest ape

• Have you seen the film ’King Kong’? It’s about a giant gorilla that is taken to New York to be exhibited.

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More for you:
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21. HAIR/HARE

HAIR
what grows on your head

• Her hair used to be much shorter. Do you think she’s got hair extensions?

HARE
an animal that’s similar to a rabbit, but has longer ears and legs

• Rabbits live underground, but hares live in overground nests.
• Can I get a pet hare?

22. HEAL/HEEL

HEAL
become or make healthy again

• How long will this wound take to heal?

HEEL
the part of a foot that’s under the ankle

• I hurt my left heel while playing football. I hope it will heal soon.

23. HEROINE/HEROIN

HEROINE
a brave woman, usually the principal character of a book or a film

• My favourite heroine is Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter books.

HEROIN
a white, highly addictive narcotic

• I stopped reading that book when the heroine turned out to be a heroin addict. I don’t like stories about drug addicts. They’re so sad.

24. HOLY/WHOLLY

HOLY
sacred, dedicated to God

• The Christian holy book is called the Bible.

WHOLLY
completely, fully

• The dress she was wearing to church was wholly inappropriate.

25. HUMERUS/HUMOROUS

HUMERUS
the bone in the body which is between the shoulder and the elbow

• Humerus fractures usually heal without surgery, but you may have to wear a shoulder sling for a couple of weeks.

HUMOROUS
funny, comical

• I write humorous stories for children in my free time, but my daughter doesn’t seem to like them at all.

26. IDOL/IDLE

IDOL
a false god, someone or something people love and adore

• Aretha Franklin is my idol. She’s such a fantastic singer.

IDLE
not busy, lazy

• Peter’s such an idle child. He never does his homework and doesn’t pay attention in class at all.

27. IN/INN

IN
contained/inside something

• I love living in this town. I can spend hours just watching the people go by.

INN
a small hotel that provides food and accommodation

• We usually stay in this inn when we are visiting my parents. It’s the best inn in town.

28. KNOT/NOT

KNOT
when you tie two pieces of string or rope together a knot is formed

• My son can tie his shoelaces by himself now. He tied his first ever knot last week.

NOT
a word you use to make negative forms

• I do not remember when my daughter learnt how to tie a knot. She was not as young as your son.

29. MADE/MAID

MADE
past form of ’make’

• I made a cake for my husband’s birthday.

MAID
a woman you pay to do housework for you

• I think I’ll hire a maid. I can’t do everything myself, can I?

30. MORNING/MOURNING

MORNING
the part of the day after sunrise

• I feel really unsocial in the morning until I have my first coffee. It’s not the best time to talk to me about important things.

MOURNING
the sad emotion you feel after somebody you love dies

• In my country, women wear black clothes during the mourning period.

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More for you:
List of Sentence Connectors in English with Examples!
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31. MUSCLES/MUSSELS

MUSCLES
fiber-like, flexible organ that moves the bones and different parts of the body

• Arnold Schwarzenegger is really muscular. Have you seen his muscles? They’re huge like mountains.

MUSSELS
edible, marine animals with soft bodies inside black or green shells

• I saw Arnold Schwarzenegger in a restaurant last night. He was eating mussels with bare hands.
• Oh, I hate mussels.

32. NIGHT/KNIGHT

NIGHT
the time between sunset and sunrise

• Where were you last night? I waited up for you until 2am. You shouldn’t be out so late at night.
• Mum, I was in bed all night. Why didn’t you knock on my door?

KNIGHT
a medieval soldier, a gentleman

• Why don’t you go out with Jack? You can’t wait for a knight in shining armor forever.
• I’m not waiting for a knight, but I definitely need someone more reliable than Jack.

33. NONE/NUN

NONE
not any, no one

• None of the students wanted to go to the museum, so we ended up feeding the pigeons on the square.

NUN
a woman who belongs to a religious order and lives in a monastery

• Why did Mother Teresa become a nun?
• She just liked helping people, I guess.

34. OUR/HOUR

OUR
belonging to us

• Our house is the nicest in the street.

HOUR
sixty minutes

• It takes an hour to get to our house from here.

35. PAIR/PEAR

PAIR
two similar things together

• I need a new pair of shoes. Will you come with me to help me choose?

PEAR
juicy fruit, similar to an apple in size

• Would you like to stay for tea? I’m making pear tarts.
• I’ve never tried pear tarts. Are they as good as apple tarts?

36. PATIENCE/PATIENTS

PATIENCE
the capacity of being tolerant and able to wait without getting angry

• You’d better stop kicking your sister. I’m losing my patience and you don’t want to find out what happens when I’ve lost it.

PATIENTS
people who receive medical advice and care

• I’ve got so many patients to visit today. I’m not sure if I’ll have the patience to listen to all of them.
• But Dr Brown, there are only two more patients left.

37. PAUSE/PAWS

PAUSE
stop something temporarily

• Let’s pause the film. I want to go to the kitchen to get more popcorn.

PAWS
the feet of animals like cats or dogs

• My cat puts her paws gently on my face every morning to wake me up. It’s lovely, but she never seems to notice how early it is.

38. PIECE/PEACE

PIECE
a part of something

• Here, have a piece of apple pie. I made it myself.

PEACE
the state of tranquillity and no war

• I wish there was peace on Earth.

39. PLAIN/PLANE

PLAIN
simple, clear, unmixed

• I like all kinds of chocolate. Chocolate with nuts, chocolate with fruit, chocolate with cream filling or just plain chocolate.

PLANE
aeroplane, airplane

• I’m not afraid of flying, but I really don’t like sitting in a plane for hours. It’s so boring.

40. POOR/POUR

POOR
someone who doesn’t have enough money/ someone you feel sorry for

• Poor Jackie! She didn’t pass the exam, even though she had studied a lot.

POUR
to make some liquid flow onto or into something

• You poor thing! You must be freezing, it’s so cold outside. Come in, let me pour you some nice, hot tea.

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More for you:
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41. PROPHETS/PROFITS

PROPHET
someone who teaches the words of God and makes predictions about the future

• Do you think there are any modern day prophets? Do we still need prophets?

PROFITS
the money businesses have left after paying all the expenses

• A lot of companies are more interested in profits than the safety of their workers.

42. SAIL/SALE 

SAIL
to move smoothly through water or air

• I’d like to sail through the Mediterranean. Do you want to come with me?

SALE
selling goods or services

• Ted’s house is for sale. I wonder where he’s going to move once it’s sold.

43. SAW/SAW

SAW
past tense of ’see’

• I saw Glenn at the post office yesterday, but she didn’t see me.

SAW
a thin metal tool that is used for cutting wood

• Have you seen my saw? I’d like to make a house for the dog.

44. SERIAL/CEREAL

SERIAL
a story published or performed in parts

• I like that website. I can watch my favourite TV serials there online.

CEREAL
breakfast food made from grains, eaten with milk

• What’s your favourite breakfast cereal?

45. SO/SEW

SO
to a certain extent

• I’m so happy, I could kiss you. Thanks a lot for the lovely present.

SEW
make or repair clothes using a needle and thread

• I love designing clothes, but I can’t sew.
• Why don’t you learn how to sew? I’d be so glad to wear the clothes you make.

46. SOUL/SOLE 

SOUL
the spirit of a person

• Do you like my painting? I put my heart and soul in it.
• Well, I can see some paint there on a canvas, but I can’t see your heart and soul anywhere.

SOLE
a type of fish native to Europe, valued as food  – ALSO –

the under surface of a person’s foot

• I’d like to make something light for dinner. Have you got any sole recipes?
• The soles of their feet were nearly black with dirt.

47. WAIST/WASTE

WAIST
the part of the human body that’s between the upper body and the lower body

• She got extremely upset when I told her. She was just standing there with her hands on her waist and didn’t say a word.

WASTE
when you spend money or time on something you don’t really need, it’s a waste

• Let’s not waste more time on this subject. We’ve said everything that can be be said.

48. WAIT/WEIGHT

WAIT
to spend time and stay somewhere until something happens

• Will you wait here until I get back? I won’t be long.

WEIGHT
the weight of something shows how heavy it is

• Do you think I should lose some weight?
• No, I don’t. I actually think you need to put on some weight- you’re too thin.

49. WINE/WHINE

WINE
alcoholic drink made of grapes

• A glass of red wine before bed is good for your heart.

WHINE
complain like a child

• Don’t whine! I won’t give you more wine unless you stop whining.

50. WRITE/RIGHT

WRITE
to form letters, words and sentences using pen and paper or a computer

• How old were you when you learnt to write?
• I was three years old.Three?

RIGHT
correct, true

• That’s right. I was only three when I learnt to write.

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Homophones Translation

English	1. Ad – Add, 2. Air – Heir, 3. All – Awl, 4. Allowed – Aloud, 5. Alms – Arms
Spanish	1. Anuncio – Añadir, 2. Aire – Heredero, 3. Todo – Punzón, 4. Permitido – En voz alta, 5. Limosna – Armas
French	1. Ad – Ajouter, 2. Air – Héritier, 3. Tous – Allier, 4. Autorisé – A haute voix, 5. Aumône – Armes
Italian	1. Annuncio – Aggiungere, 2. Aria – Erede, 3. Tutto – Punteruolo, 4. Permesso – Ad alta voce, 5. Elemosina – Braccia
German	1. Anzeigen – Hinzufügen, 2. Luft – Erbe, 3. alle – Ahle, 4. erlaubt – laut, 5. alms – Arme
Hungarian	1. Hirdetés – Hozzáadás, 2. Levegő – Örökös, 3. Minden – Ál, 4. Engedélyezett – Hangosan, 5. Alamizsnát – Karok
Portuguese	1. Anúncio – Adicionar, 2. ar – Herdeiro, 3. tudo – Coruja, 4. permitido – Em voz alta, 5. esmola – Braços
Russian	1. Реклама – Добавить, 2. Воздух – Наследник, 3. Все – Аул, 4. Разрешено – Вслух, 5. Милостыня – Оружие
Slovenian	1. Oglas – Dodaj, 2. Zrak – Dedič, 3. Vse – Šila, 4. Dovoljeno – Glasno, 5. Almuzina – Roka
Czech	1. Přídavek – Přidat, 2. Vzduch – Dědic, 3. Vše – Šídlo, 4. Povoleno – Nahlas, 5. Almužna – Ruce
Dutch	1. Reclame – Toevoegen, 2. Lucht – Erfgenaam, 3. Alles – Awl, 4. Toegestaan – Hardop, 5. Armen – Armen
Chinese	1.广告–添加，2.空气–继承人，3.所有–箭头，4.允许–大声，5.施舍–武器
Polish	1. Reklama – Dodaj, 2. Powietrze – Dziedzic, 3. Wszystko – Awl, 4. Dozwolone – Głośno, 5. Jałmużna – Broń
Swedish	1. Reklam – tillägg, 2. Luft – arvtagare, 3. Alla – panna, 4. Tillåtet – högt, 5. Alms – armar

English	1. Ant – Aunt, 2. Arc – Ark, 3. Ate – Eight, 4. Aural – Oral 5. Bald – Bawled
Spanish	1. Hormiga – Tía, 2. Arco – Arca, 3. Ave – Ocho, 4. Aural – Oral 5. Calvo – Batido
French	1. Fourmi – Tante, 2. arceau – Arche, 3. Ate – Huit, 4. auditif – Oral, 5. chauve – braillé
Italian	1. Formica – Zia, 2. Arc – Arca, 3. Mangia – Otto, 4. Aural – Orale, 5. Calvo – Balenò
German	1. Ameise – Tante, 2. Bogen – Arche, 3. aß – Acht, 4. aural – mündlich, 5. kahl – gebrüllt
Hungarian	1. Hangya – néni, 2. Ív – bárka, 3. Evett – nyolc, 4. Hangos – szóbeli 5. Kopasz – üvöltött
Portuguese	1. Formiga – Tia, 2. Arca – Arca, 3. Comida – Oito, 4. Aural – Oral, 5. Careca – Berrada
Russian	1. Муравей – тетя, 2. Арк – ковчег, 3. Ел – восемь, 4. Аурал – устный, 5. Лысый – орал
Slovenian	1. Mravlja – teta, 2. Ark – arka, 3. Ete – osem, 4. Aural – ustno, 5 Toplega – bledi
Czech	1. Mravenec – teta, 2. Oblouk – archa, 3. Jídlo – osm, 4. Sluch – ústní, 5. Lysý – plavý
Dutch	1. Mier – Tante, 2. Boog – Ark, 3. Eet – Acht, 4. Auditief – Mondeling, 5. Kaal – Gebauwd
Chinese	1. 蚂蚁–阿姨，2.弧形–方舟，3.吃–八，4.听–口述，5.秃头–嚎啕大哭
Polish	1. Mrówka – Ciotka, 2. Łuk – Arka, 3. Ate – Osiem, 4. Aural – Ustny, 5. Łysy – Bawił się
Swedish	1. Myr – moster, 2. Ark – ark, 3. Ät – åtta, 4. Hörsel – muntligt, 5. Skallig – skällde

More for you:
12 (All) English Tenses with Examples
Phone Conversation: Most Commonly Used English Phrases on the Phone
Common Spelling Mistakes in words like surprise and tomorrow

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And don’t forget, you can always use spell/grammar checkers to instantly proofread your writing.

I hope you’ve found this lesson interesting and you’re not board. Umm, I mean bored.
Remember, these are mistakes that spell checkers won’t recognize, so pay extra attention to homophones when writing. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comment area below. We are hear two help. I mean, we are here to help.

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.

Video Transcript
Section 1
Hey there I’m Emma from mmmEnglish! Today’s pronunciation lesson is all about some extremely common English words, like this word ‘object’ and actually this word, like all the others that I’m gonna share today has more than just one meaning.

It can be more than one type of word. It can be a verb and a noun so of course, a verb and a noun, the meaning is different and interestingly, the pronunciation is different.

I mean which really is quite annoying but we’re going to take a look at some of these different words and learn some cool tricks so that you know how to pronounce them correctly so you ready to dive in?

tear
(n) /tɪə(r)/
(v) /teə(r)/

So let’s start nice and simple with this word. Now there’s actually two ways to pronounce this word. Do you know them? Do you know them already? We have tear. And tear.

Can you hear the different vowel sounds that I’m using in each word?

But now I want you to try saying it out loud and I want you to listen to make sure that there’s a difference in the vowel sounds that you’re using.

Nice! I always like to remember that a tear comes down near your ear and you know when you hold something up to tear it you’re holding it up in the air right. A little reminder there.

So practise with me.

• A tear rolled down his cheek as he saw his dad tear up his favourite book.

Your turn.

Nice! Now there are some clues in this sentence that help us to know which word is a noun and which one is a verb.

So articles are always in front of nouns and when we have a subject, dad, and an object, our favourite book, we know that this must be a verb right? We need it to complete the clause in the sentence.

So I want you to keep looking for these clues as we go through this lesson okay keep looking for the types of words in each sentence as a clue for how to pronounce them.

dove
(n) /dʌv/
(n) /dəʊv/

So as a noun this is a type of bird, right and it’s pronounced dove. Dove. It’s that short vowel sound. But this word is also a verb. It’s the past tense of ‘dive’. And that’s a diphthong vowel sound, the sound. It’s the same sound that you hear in go and no.

• He dove into the pool.

So let’s see if we can put those two words together in a sentence, might be a little tricky.

• Miraculously, the dove dove into the river to escape the cat.

Your turn.

I don’t know about you but I’ve never seen a dove dive into a river but there you go, that’s what practice at mmmEnglish is all about.

lead
(v) /liːd/
(n) /led/

So how about this one? Do you know the different ways to pronounce this word? I think you probably know the verb, to lead right? And you really need to try and make that long vowel sound there.

Make that sound too short, it’ll sound like lid.

Now there are quite a few different uses for this verb so I’m gonna give you a few different examples.

• You lead the way!
• Last time I checked, the green team was leading the race.
• And I asked Sarah to lead this project for us.

So the verb form is probably the most common way that you’ll come across it right? You’ll hear it pronounced lead often.

But lead is also a metal. It’s a noun.

And so when it’s used this way the pronunciation is led. And it used to be really commonly used in pipes and construction until people started realising that it was actually poisoning us.

And it’s also the dark part inside a pencil. That’s also called lead, a lead pencil.

• An exposure to lead can lead to serious health problems.
• He was asked to lead the children off the stage.

Now one of the trickiest things here is trying to work out when to pronounce it as a verb and when to pronounce it as a noun. So usually we look at the words around it to give us a clue, to try and work out what type of word it is.

But look here, we’ve got the preposition to coming before lead or lead in both examples.

We have exposed to lead. And he was asked to lead. So it’s not always as simple as it seems.

close
(v) /kləʊz/
(adj) /kləʊs/

Now this one I know you know. What are the two different ways to pronounce this word and it’s got nothing to do with the vowel sound. It’s actually the consonant sound, close. That voiced consonant sound.

You know this is when we, you know, close a door or we close the shop early.

But it can also be an adjective as well and when it’s an adjective, we pronounce it as close to say that something is nearby or a short distance away. It’s close and this is the unvoiced sound, exactly the same mouth and tongue position as the sound but it’s made with air pushing through our mouths.

• Can you please close the door?

Sounds a bit odd, doesn’t it because it’s not the right word.

• Although you live close by, you still need to close the front door and lock up before you leave.

wound
(n) /wuːnd/
(adj) /ˈwuːndɪd/
(v) /waʊnd/

So we’re getting a little trickier now. Do you know the two different ways to pronounce this word?

As a noun, this is an injury right especially when you cut your skin so it can be quite serious right?

And it’s pronounced wound with that long sound.

And this is the same sound that’s used in the adjective wounded. So we would say:

• The soldier was wounded on the battlefield.

But this is also a verb, it’s the past tense of wind, wound. Again it’s that diphthong sound. And it’s the same sound that you hear in words like flower and frown.

So it’s wound.

• He had wound up the window just as it started to rain.

Now let’s put them together in a sentence.

• Sam wound the belt tightly around his leg to stop the blood flowing from the open wound.

desert
(n) /ˈdezə(r)t/
(v) /dɪˈzɜː(r)t/

So first things first, we are not talking about this right? At least we know these are different words because they’re spelled differently but did you know that this word can actually be a verb and a noun and the pronunciation is different when we’re using each type of word and it’s all in the syllable stress.

We have desert. This is, you know, an area of land that doesn’t have a lot of water.

Then we’ve got the verb desert. Exactly like dessert right but it means to leave someone alone and to abandon them in the middle of nowhere.

• I’m not going to desert you in the middle of the desert.

object
(n) /ˈɒbdʒekt/
(v) /əbˈdʒekt/

So again we’ve got a noun and a verb to consider here. An object, object is a thing, right? The stress is on the first syllable but the verb object means to be opposed to something you know, using words and it’s quite a formal verb.

• Will you object if I move the object from the table?

That is a really random sentence.

content
(n) /ˈkɒntent/
(adj) /kənˈtent/

So just to mix things up a little bit here, this word can be a noun and an adjective. It’s not very specific and you’re probably most familiar with it in the context of social media. It means any material or piece of writing or video or music that appears on a website, on Youtube, or on social media somewhere. This is called content.

• I produce a lot of content on YouTube!

Now if you are happy and satisfied with life, then you are content. The very best way to be.

So when it’s used as an adjective, the syllable stress shifts to the second syllable and the first syllable reduces right down so the vowel sound becomes a schwa.

So listen to the difference between those two words.

• Are you content with the amount of content that you post on social media?

separate
(adj) /ˈsep(ə)rət/
(v) /ˈsepəreɪt/

So tell me how do we pronounce this word here?

Because we can use it as an adjective to say that two things are not together then we say separate.

• Keep the cheese separate from the meat.

And usually, you just hear it pronounced with two syllables separate.

But as a verb, separate, we hear three syllables right and it means to put things in groups so can you separate the red apples from the green ones?

Practise out loud with me. So let’s compare them together.

Now even though these are different types of words, they do have a really similar meaning so we can compare them together.

• I try to separate my work life from my home life.
• I try to keep my work life separate from my home life.

deliberate
(adj) /dɪˈlɪb(ə)rət/
(v) /dɪˈlɪbəreɪt/

Okay we’re going to end on a tricky one. I’m wondering if you’ve ever heard this word before and if you know how to pronounce it but it actually follows a really similar pattern to the previous word, right?

As an adjective, we say deliberate meaning that an action was fully intended or it was carefully considered. It wasn’t done by accident.

• He made a deliberate attempt to embarrass me in front of my boss.

Now as a verb, the pronunciation changes to deliberate. So we’ve got four syllables. The second is the strongest and the fourth is also strong.

So to deliberate is to think really carefully about something and to consider all the different options. So again the word types are different but the meaning is quite similar.

So deliberate means that something is carefully considered and to deliberate means that well the verb is to carefully consider, right?

• We don’t need to deliberate over how deliberate his actions were.

So there you have it! I hope that this lesson highlighted how important pronunciation is, especially vowel sounds in English. Often they’re the only thing that separates one word from another. Now before we finish up, I want to quickly go over the pronunciation of all these words again so get ready to say them out loud with me.

tear
dove
lead
close
wound
desert
object
content
separate
deliberate

Awesome work everyone! Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button just down there so that you never miss an mmmEnglish lesson and I’ve got more for you to practise with right here. See you in there!

mmmEnglish Video Lessons are a series of video lessons created to build confidence in English learners and focus on English in daily life. Download them and watch them anywhere! Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to be the first to get my new videos, and come and say hi on my Facebook page!!

read – /riːd/ (the same as “reed”) means to perceive information provided in a written form; /rɛd/ (the same as “red”) is the past tense of the verb “to read”.

live – to /lɪv/ (rhyming with “give”) is a verb meaning “to be alive” /əˈlaɪv/; /laɪv/ (rhyming with “dive”) is an adjective meaning “being alive”.

wind – /wɪnd/ (rhyming with “pinned”) is a movement of air (it can also be a verb meaning “to blow to a wind instrument”); to /waɪnd/ (rhyming with “kind”) is a verb meaning “to turn, especially something around something else”. For example, a river or a way can “wind” /waɪnd/, or you can wind /waɪnd/ a wire around a coil.

wound – a /wuːnd/ (rhyming with “spooned”) is an injury; /waʊnd/ (rhyming with “sound”) is the past tense of the verb “wind” (/waɪnd/, see above).

tear – to /tɛə/ (UK), /tɛr/ (US) (rhyming with “fair”) means “to rip a solid material” (a /tɛə/ (UK), /tɛr/ (US) is a hole caused by tearing /tɛrɪŋ/); a /tɪə/ (UK), /tɪr/ (US) (rhyming with “dear”) is a water drop coming from someone’s eyes.

bow – a /bəʊ/ (UK), /boʊ/ (US) (rhyming with “snow”) is a medieval weapon or a device used to play the violin and other bowed /bəʊd/ (UK), /boʊd/ (US) (like “boat”) instruments (it can also be a verb meaning “to become bent” or “to play a bowed instrument”); to /baʊ/ (rhyming with “cow”, pronounced the same as “bough”) is a verb meaning “to bend oneself in a gesture of showing respect”.

row – /rəʊ/ (UK), /roʊ/ (US) (rhyming with “low”) is a line of objects (or a verb meaning “to propel a boat in water a using oars”); a /raʊ/ (rhyming with “cow”) is a noisy argument (to /raʊ/ means “to argue noisily”). (Also, J. K. Rowling is pronounced /rəʊlɪŋ/)

sow – to /səʊ/ (UK), /soʊ/ (US) (the same as “so”) means “to scatter plant seeds” (you can sow a field, for example) and it is pronounced exactly the same as “to sew” (i.e. as “so”, not as “Sue”) meaning “to use thread and a needle to join two pieces of fabric”; a /saʊ/ (rhyming with “cow”) is a female pig.

sewer – a /ˈsuːə/ (UK), /ˈsuːər/ (US) (rhyming with “newer”) is a pipe used to remove liquid human waste; a /ˈsəʊə/ (UK), /ˈsoʊər/ (US) (rhyming with “lower”) is someone who sews (/səʊz/ (UK), /soʊz/ (US), see above).

close – to /kləʊz/ (UK), /kloʊz/ (US) (rhyming with “doze”) is the opposite of the verb “open”; /kləʊs/ (notice the “s” at the end) is an adjective meaning “near”.

excuse – to /ɪkˈskjuːz/ or /ɛksˈkjuːz/ (rhyming with “lose”) means to forgive somebody for something that they have done; an /ɪkˈskjuːs/ or /ɛksˈkjuːs/(rhyming with “juice”, notice the “s” at the end) is an explanation designed to avoid negative judgement.

Polish – to /ˈpɒlɪʃ/ (UK), /ˈpɑlɪʃ/ (US) (beginning like ”pot”) means “to make a surface smooth”; /ˈpəʊlɪʃ/ (UK), /ˈpoʊlɪʃ/ (beginning like “Poe” (Edgar Allan, the writer)) refers to the language or the nation based in Poland /ˈpəʊlənd/ (UK), /ˈpoʊlənd/ (US).

lead – to /liːd/ (rhyming with “seed”) means “to guide or conduct” (/liːd/ can also be a noun meaning “the act of leading”); /lɛd/ (rhyming with “red”) is a chemical element with the symbol “Pb” (“plumbum” in Latin).

graduate – a /ˈɡrædʒuət/ (with “oo-ət” at the end) is a person holding an academic degree; to /ˈɡrædʒueɪt/ (rhyming with “late”) means to obtain an academic degree. Notice that although the pronunciation is different, there is no difference in stress position.

does – /dʌz/ (rhyming with “fuzz”) is the third person of the verb “to do”; /dəʊz/ (UK), /doʊz/ (US) (the same as “doze”) is the plural form of the noun “doe” (a female deer).

bass – a /beɪs/ (like “phase” but with “s” at the end, not “z”) is the lowest voice in a harmony (/beɪs/ is also an adjective meaning “low sounding”); a /bæs/ is a member of a certain species of fish.

number – /ˈnʌmbə/ (UK), /ˈnʌmbər/ (US) (rhyming with “lumber”) is a mathematical object, such as 1, 65536, 3.1415; /ˈnʌmə/ (UK), /ˈnʌmər/ (US) (rhyming with “summer”) means “more numb” (numb is pronounced /nʌm/).

dove – a /dʌv/ is a bird related to pigeons; /dəʊv/ (UK), /doʊv/ (US) is a non-standard form of the past tense of the verb “to dive” used in some dialects (the standard one is “dived”).

drawer – /ˈdrɔː/ (UK) (the same as “draw”), /ˈdrɔːr/ (US) (rhymes with “more”) is a piece of furniture. Note that there are British dialects in which the “er” is pronounced as /ə/ and American dialects in which the word is pronounced as “draw”. /ˈdrɔːə/ (UK) (like “draw-uh”), /ˈdrɔːər/ (US) (like “draw-uhrr”) is a person who draws.

house – a /haʊs/ (rhymes with “mouse”) is a building; to /haʊz/ (rhyming with “cows”) means “to provide a place for somebody to live”.

use – to /juːz/ (rhyming with “fuze”) means “to utilize”; a /juːs/ (rhyming with “goose”) is a way in which something is used.

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to the InFluency Podcast. I’m Hadar, and this is episode number 20.

Hello-hello. Welcome back. Today is part two of the lesson about ‘spelling versus pronunciation’ and why do they constantly clash.

Last time, that was episode number 18, we talked about words that are pronounced the same but spelled differently, like ‘flower’ and ‘flour’, and ‘see’ and ‘sea’, and ‘sun’ and ‘son’.

I hope you, cause you can’t see the word written, I hope you visualize the different spelling patterns: ‘sun’ and ‘son’, like “The sun in the sky”, and “My son. I don’t have a son, I only have daughters”. But, I hope that helped you understand what word I meant. Anyway, this was episode number 18 on the podcast.

Today we are talking about words that are spelled the same, but get this – they’re pronounced differently. Yeah. Spelled the same but pronounced differently. So technically, these words, if you just see them written, you can’t know for certain how to pronounce them because it requires context.

So you’ll know if this word is a ‘read’ or ‘read’, right? Cause there are pronounced the same. Or if this word is ‘Object’ or ‘objEct’. “I objEct the fact that spelling and pronunciation do not correspond in English. It makes everything a lot harder.”

But if English was a phonetic language, or should I say were a phonetic language, I still didn’t get that quite right. I think I can use both, but technically, I’m supposed to say ‘were’ because it’s not something realistic. However, a lot of people use ‘was’.

You’re probably saying to yourself, “What is she talking about? How is this related?” But for those of you who got me, I know you know what I mean? So technically, there is no ‘was’ after ‘if’, if it’s hypothetical – “if English were a phonetic language”, “if I were a rich man”. I will make a different episode about this, okay. I will record a different episode about ‘was’ and ‘were’ after ‘if’.

For now, let’s move on to what I wanted to say in the first place. That if English was/were a phonetic language, then I’d have no job. So maybe it’s good because that’s how we can connect. If everything was easy, then I wouldn’t have anything interesting to say about that.

So I’m glad it’s not easy. Not helpful for you, but it’s helpful for our relationship, I think. You’re probably saying to yourself, “Okay Hadar, can I just listen to the lesson, please?” And the answer is ‘yes’. Yes, you can. Yes, you can.

Let’s listen to the audio version of my video lesson about words that are spelled the same, but pronounced differently.

And by the way, they’re called heteronyms or homographs, just so you know. Let’s listen.

Hey, it’s Hadar. Thank you for joining me. Today is the second part of the video series about spelling versus pronunciation, trying to tackle common confusions. In the previous lesson we talked about homophones – words that are pronounced the same but spelled differently. So we went through bunch of pairs, and if you want to watch that video, if you haven’t watched it, I’m going to link to it in the show notes.

In today’s lesson, we are going to talk about heteronyms – words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently. The first one is this – ‘tear’ ‘tear’ as in “Don’t shed any tears” – right, – “when you cry”. “Tears are running down your cheeks”. ‘Tear’. Here it’s pronounced with a T sound, than a high E – ‘tee’, and then an R sound – ‘teer’. Make sure that ‘ee’ is long – ‘teer’.

But this could also mean to tear. ‘Tear’, to ruin, like “to tear something down” or “to tear up the page”. ‘tehr’. And then it’s pronounced with an ‘a’ sound. “Tear” – it’s a T sound, and ‘a’, so drop your jaw and bring the tongue up for the R only at the end. “Tear”.

The next one is “read”: an R sound, an a high E – ‘ree-‘, and then a D – ‘reed’. “I need to read this book” – ‘reed’. Or “I read this book”, the past form – ‘red’. Then it’s just an ‘e’ sound – ‘red’.

I know it’s confusing and you’re probably asking yourself, “Why is that? Why can’t they spell it differently? Let’s say, just with an ‘ea’, right, like the color “red”. Well, probably once upon a time the ‘EA’ spelling pattern used to always have the same pronunciation, the same sound.

But with time English evolved and sounds have changed and morphed, and this is why we have such a distinction or such a differentiation between the spelling and the pronunciation. Okay.

So probably, it’s because it has changed. The ‘ea’, for example, as in “read” and “read”, can also be ‘ei’ as in break, right. This is why English can be confusing. Hashtag English is confusing.

Because the same spelling pattern can be several different vowels. The most important thing is that you remember it ‘as is’, and try to detach yourself from the spelling. Try to really identify the sound of the word with the context.

Because when you hear people talking about the past, “I read this book”, it’s obvious, right? It’s not confusing whatsoever. The ‘e’ sound is an easy sound to detect, and also the ‘ee’. “I need to read this book”, right?

So try to associate the sound with the actual word and the meaning, and the tense, rather than try to identify it according to the spelling. And if you’re reading something, then see how it relates to the rest of the sentence. This is how you know. It’s easier than you think.

Then we have [Live]. This could be ‘laiv’ as in “It’s a live show”. Then it’s the ‘ai’ as in “my” – ‘laiv’. Or ‘liv’, as in “Where do you live?” ‘liv’, then it’s a relaxed ‘i’ sound – ‘liv’.

The next one is this [Polish]. This could be ‘pow-lish’, as in someone from Poland. Then we want to make sure that the O always pronounced with a long ‘ow’ sound – ‘pow-lish’. The trick is to add the W – ‘pow’, ‘pow-lish’. Or ‘paa-lish’, “I need to polish the glasses before I pour wine into them”. ‘paa-lish’. You could tell I was a bartender once, right?

This one is rather confusing [Resume]. So, it’s either “to ‘ruh-zuwm’ the classes”, right. “I stopped taking English classes, but I need to resume my studies, or resume classes – to start again”. ‘ruh-zuwm’. It’s an R sound, then a Z, and then the U as in “food” – ‘ruh-zuwm’, close it with an M.

Or it’s ‘re-zuh-mei’ ‘re-zuh-mei’, so different! ‘re-zuh-mei’. “I need to submit my resume, if I want to get a job there”. ‘re-zuh-mei’. Or “I need to work on my resume”.

‘re-zuh-mei’. ‘re’ as in “red”, so round your lips for the R, ‘zuh’ – it’s a Z sound and a schwa – ‘re-zuh’. And it’s confusing cause it’s spelled with an S, I know, but it’s pronounced as a Z. ‘re-zuh-mei’, ‘mei’, ‘ei’ as in “day”, ‘mei’. ‘re-zuh-mei’, ‘re-zuh-mei’.

The next one is this [Use]. This has two meanings. One, “to use” – then it’s spelled with a Z sound – ‘uwz’. Or it’s the noun – ‘uws’. “What’s the use?” ‘uwz’ versus ‘uws’.

Now, this S that is once pronounced with an S, once pronounced with a Z, can also be found in the pair “close” versus “close”. Spelled the same, pronounced differently. “Close the door”, with a Z ‘klowz’.

Or “Come sit close to me”. “We’re sitting close to each other”. ‘klows’, long O, as in “go”, and then an S. The only difference here is the S versus Z: ‘klows’ – ‘klowz’, ‘uws’ – ‘uwz’.

The next set of words are verbs versus nouns that are spelled the same. For example, this word [Present]. ‘preh-z’nt’ versus ‘pruh-zent’. So here you have a trick. When you see the same word and you know that it can be used as a verb, to do something or as a noun, the secret is in the stress.

‘PREH-z’nt’. If the stress is on the first syllable, it’s a noun. “I want to give you a PREsent. ‘preh-z’nt’. If it’s a verb, the stress is going to be on the second syllable – ‘pruh-ZENT’.

And that is always the case with words that have two syllables and they are spelled the same, and you know that they have two different meanings: one is a verb, one is a noun. ‘pruh-ZENT’. “I need to preSENT my idea”. ‘pruh-zent – ‘preh-z’nt’.

Now, the stress shift also changes the vowels, the pronunciation of the other vowels. Because once you put the stress on one syllable, the other syllable receives a schwa – the vowel is reduced. ‘preh-z’nt’ , ‘z’nt’, then there is no vowel here. It’s ‘uh’ – ‘z’nt’.

But then if I shift the stress to the second syllable, the second syllable gets the vowel ‘zent’, the first syllable – ‘pruh’. ‘pruh-zent’. So it’s not ‘pre-zent’ and ‘pre-zent’. Then it’s not clear what is stressed and what is not stressed, right? ‘PREH-z’nt’ – ‘pruh-ZENT’.

Record [‘reh-k’rd’]. “Let’s play that record”, ‘reh-k’rd’. Or ‘ruh-kord’ – “I need to record an album”. ‘reh-k’rd’: here the ‘reh’ is the primary stress, as in “red”, ‘k’rd. Or “It’s a world record”, right? Same pronunciation, ‘reh-k’rd’.

Or “I need to record it”. ‘ruh’, then it’s a schwa, ‘kord’. All of a sudden, it’s an O sound as in “for”. ‘ruh-kord’, right. In ‘reh-k’rd’ it was a schwa, you couldn’t hear an O sound. But here, ‘ruh-kord’. See how it works? Let’s look at a few more.

Desert [‘de-z’rt’] – “Let’s go to the desert”. “The desert is so beautiful in the winter”. ‘de-z’rt’, stress is on the first syllable. And ‘duh-z’rt’. The first one is ‘DEsert’ as, “Let’s go to the desert”, ‘de-z’rt’. The second one is ‘deSERT’, “Don’t desert that project again”, ‘duh-z’rt’ – to stop doing something, to leave it abruptly. ‘duh-z’rt’.

“Desert” is also a homophone of “Dessert”, spelled differently. Notice: dessert, which is what you have at the end of a meal. “Dessert”. Or in the beginning, if you’re my daughters ?. “Dessert”. “Dessert”. Okay.

So again, we have ‘DE-z’rt’ – stress on the first syllable, ‘DE-z’rt’. That’s the place. And then ‘duh-Z’RT’ – stress on the second syllable – is the verb “to desert”, “Don’t desert me”. ‘duh-Z’RT’.

But it’s also what you eat at the end of a meal – “dessert”. So, “desert”, the verb, and “dessert”, the noun – are homophones cause they’re spelled differently but pronounced the same. Confusing? I hope not anymore.

The last one is “produce” versus “produce”. “PROduce” versus “proDUCE”. To produce [‘pruh-duws’] is to make something out of raw materials,  ‘pruh-duws’. Or to make something out of nothing: “I need to produce a sound or produce a video”.

‘pruh-duws’. So, the first syllable is a schwa – ‘pruh’, second syllable is stressed – ‘duws’. That’s the primary stress with a U as in “food” – ‘pruh-duws’.

‘prow-duws’ are things that have grown or produced, especially in a farm, like carrots and apples, and lettuce. ‘prow-duws’. Here we say it with the ‘ow’ sound – that’s the primary stress – ‘prow-duws’, U as in “food”. ‘prow-duws’. ‘pruh-duws’ – ‘prow-duws’.

Okay, that’s it. Now I want to challenge you. Write in the comments below more words that share the same spelling, but have different meanings and different pronunciation. Okay?

So, I can’t wait to hear your comments, and if you haven’t seen it yet, go watch the first part of this video about words that are spelled differently but pronounced the same. I’m sure you’re going to find it very, very interesting.

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So, have a beautiful week, and I will see you next week in the next video. Bye.