Words that have another word in them

Tip: See my list of the Most Common Mistakes in English. It will teach you how to avoid mis­takes with com­mas, pre­pos­i­tions, ir­reg­u­lar verbs, and much more.

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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.

Every language has words that look and sound the same but mean different things. Russian is no exception: many Russian words have two or even more different meanings.

Click to enlarge the image. Drawing by Niyaz Karim

The most frequently cited examples of homonyms in the
Russian language are the words kosa (коса) and klyuch (ключ)

The word kosa means a braid and also, in another
meaning, a scythe. Hence the comic play on words in the expression devushka
s kosoi (девушка с косой), which can mean both a young woman with braided
hair and the Grim Reaper. In addition, kosa also means a spit of land
sticking out into the sea.

Klyuch means a key that you
use to open and close the door but also a key to a cipher (klyuch ot shifra,
ключ от шифра), a clue, and a clef (e.g. a skripichny klyuch (скрипичный
ключ) is a treble clef). It also forms part of the Russian word for a spanner, gayechny klyuch (гаечный
ключ).

The adjective klyuchevoi (ключевой) is used in the same sense as
the English ‘key’ in key element, key player, key moment, etc. In a separate
meaning, a klyuch is also a spring, a source of clean, fresh, cool
water.

The word mat (мат) has three completely different
meanings. First, it is the chess term checkmate. Second, a mat, especially a
gym mat (gimnastichesky mat, гимнастический мат). Third, and most commonly
these days, it is foul language, swear words.

Under a new Russian law that came into effect on July 1, the
use of foul language is banned on television, in films, books, in the media, as
well as in the theater and other public performances. The boundaries of what
constitutes foul language are quite blurred (some words are considered more
acceptable than others).

The debate of what should fall under «the
banned» foul language has been going on for a long time. At present,
experts have concluded that the ban should cover four basic roots (rude names
for male and female genitals, sexual intercourse and a prostitute) and all of
their derivatives.

The word klass (класс) in Russian has approximately
the same wealth of meanings as «class» in English. In a school or
university, it means a classroom and a group of students who study together, as
well as the entire cohort of students in a particular grade.

In another sense,
it means a level of quality, as in first-class, second-class, third-class. In
yet another meaning, a class is a division of people in society according to
their social status, e.g. working class, middle class.

The word post (пост) has until recently been used in
two senses: the place where a soldier, guard or other person has been told to
remain (as in guard post, storozhevoi post (сторожевой пост), which
later evolved into meaning a position in a company or organization, usually one
that involves responsibility.

The other meaning of the word is religious: a
fast (the derivative verb is postitsya (поститься). In recent years, the
word post has developed a new meaning that is to do with the advent of
blogs and social network sites. It has even created a new verb, zapostit
(запостить), meaning to post something on the internet.

Another word that has acquired an additional meaning as a
result of borrowing from English is luk (лук). Traditionally, luk
had two distinct meanings in Russian: an onion and a bow (as in a bow and arrows).
Recently, in youth slang it has begun to be used in the sense of a person’s
looks.

The word val (вал) has even more meanings. It can
mean an earthen wall, hence the names of some old streets in Moscow, e.g. Zemlyanoi
Val (Земляной вал) or Koroviy Val (Коровий вал). At sea, a val is a big
wave (e.g. a famous painting by great Russian seascape artist Ivan Aivazovsky
is called Devyatiy Val (“Девятый вал»).

It also means a shaft, as
in a drive shaft. Finally, in economics, it means the gross output of a
company, an industry or a country as whole. 

Read more: The 10 most well-known Russian words>>>

All rights reserved by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

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We love all kinds of words: big words, small words, words with silent vowels, and even the word moist. With that in mind, we wanted to find words that feature the word word in them. Without getting too wordy, we managed to find words like foreword, afterword, and doubleword that fit our criterion of being a word with the word word in the word. Being the word-wise wordsmiths that we are, we wanted to spread the good word and share our fun list of words that include the word word.

Cool off your hot word skills with these cool words about words.

headword

A headword is a word or phrase that appears as the heading of a dictionary, encyclopedia, or other reference work. For example, if you research the first president of the United States, the headword will most likely be George Washington.

catchword

A catchword is a word or phrase that someone uses so frequently that it becomes their slogan or a signature phrase associated with them. For example, comedian Stephen Colbert popularized his catchword “truthiness” when he hosted The Colbert Report.

byword

The term byword is used to mean a word or phrase that has become associated with a person or thing to the point that they are cited as a proverbial example of it. For example, the sentence The company has become a byword for success may be used to describe a profitable business. Byword is also used to mean “a proverb” or a synonym of the term household word to mean a name or phrase that many people know.

Janus word

A Janus word, also called a contranym, is a word that has opposite or nearly opposite meanings. For example, the Janus word scan can mean to briefly glance at something or to thoroughly analyze something. Fun fact: Janus words are named after the Roman god Janus, who had two heads that looked in opposite directions—much like a Janus word with its two opposite meanings.

buzzword

A buzzword is a word or phrase, often from a particular jargon, that becomes fashionable or trendy among a particular group or in popular culture. For example, the word synergy is a popular buzzword often used in business and marketing.

code word

A code word is a word or phrase that has a secret meaning that only a select few people know. For example, spies might agree to use the code word “red eagle” when they need to identify each other. The term code word is also often used to refer to a euphemism that is used in place of harsher language as in My mom said my room “needed some love,” which is code word for saying “my room is a huge mess.”

nonword

A nonword is a collection of letters that isn’t accepted as an actual word. For example, “definate” is not an English word; it is a nonword that is a common misspelling of the word definite.

keyword

A keyword is a major word in a sentence, passage, or document that typically reveals the central meaning or most important information. In technology, a keyword is a word or phrase typed into a search engine or reference software to search through content.

password

A password is a secret word or phrase that a person must recite in order to gain access to restricted areas, information, etc. For example, a door guard may only let people enter a fortress if they say the password “swordfish.” In computing, a password is a string of characters that a user must enter correctly in order to log into an account, use wireless internet, or otherwise bypass electronic security.

guide word

The term guide word is used as a synonym of headword to refer to a word or phrase used at the top of articles or entries in reference works.

curse word

A curse word, also known as a cussword or a dirty word, is a word that is considered to be profane or offensive. For example, the words ass, crap, and piss are some examples of English words that are usually considered to be curse words.

kangaroo word

The term kangaroo word refers to a word that contains its own synonym within it, spelled in the correct order. For example, the kangaroo word barren contains the word bare and the word catacomb contains the word tomb.

ghost word

A ghost word is a word that entered a language by mistake, such as a typo or translation error, rather than from actual linguistic use. For example, the word syllabus seems to have resulted from a misreading of Greek.

Which ghost words haunt the dictionary?

counterword

A counterword is a word that has picked up a much looser meaning than it originally had. Counterwords have so many meanings and/or are used so generally that they are almost meaningless. Words like good, fine, gross, awful, cute, and nice are some examples of counterwords. (You know we have better synonyms for these, starting with nice.)

loanword

A loanword is a word from one language that is used in another with little or no changes in meaning or spelling. Some English words that are loanwords from other languages include incognito (Italian), schadenfreude (German), sushi (Japanese), and piñata (Spanish).

Want to know more Japanese loanwords? We’ve got you covered.

weasel word

A weasel word is a word that weakens a statement by making it sound more confusing, ambiguous, or noncommittal. For example, the word probably is an example of a weasel word in the sentence I’ll probably do better on my next math test.

nonce word

A nonce word is a word created for only one specific occasion. For example, the cartoon The Simpsons invented the word cromulent just for the sake of making a single joke about language. (That’s not the only word they created!)

Wordsmiths, this quiz is for you

Word on the street is, you can refer to these “wordy” words whenever you want with our word list (and flashcard tool!) and then challenge yourself with our quiz!

As you work with your draft, you will want to pay particular attention to the words you have chosen. Do they express exactly what you are trying to convey? Can you choose better, more effective words? Familiarity with synonyms and antonyms can be helpful in answering these questions.