Types of homonyms in English and their characteristic features (foreign language). Homonyms. Homonyms in English Homographs in English

Have you ever, even after studying English for a long time, encountered the problem of complete or partial misunderstanding of spoken language? So you listen and listen, but you just don’t understand what we’re talking about. Or, for example, do you experience difficulty writing dictations or any other work that requires written reproduction of the speech you hear? Have you wondered what's the matter? The supply seems to be good, you know, but something doesn’t stick. I offer you one more nuance, which may be the source of this problem. And the name of this phenomenon is homonyms in English (homonyms), namely homophones ( homophones) and homographs ( homographs). What it is and what it is eaten with, we will now figure it out.

What words are called homonyms in English?

The word “homonym” itself comes from the Greek words homos, that is, “the same”, and onyma- Name. In other words, homonyms in English- these are words that are the same in spelling or sound, but different in meaning (meaning). So it turns out that sometimes we hear a word, but we cannot determine its meaning, since several words may correspond to it by sound. In addition to this, homonymy presents another difficulty - after hearing a word, you may not be able to determine what it is about, and, therefore, it will be more problematic for you to look for this word in.

It is possible and necessary to combat homonyms in English. As a “way to fight”, I would suggest increasing your vocabulary, memorizing in pairs or groups the most common homonyms in the English language , practice of writing with homonyms. When working on the system of homonyms in English, you can use an interesting book called “ How much can a bare bear bear?» by Brian P. CLeary, which includes funny rhymes and comic illustrations about homonyms and homophones. What are homophones?

Homophones and homographs in English

Homographs are words that are spelled the same no matter how they are pronounced. Example: lead . Homophones are words that are pronounced identically, regardless of how they are reproduced in writing. Example: rose (flower) and rose (past tense to rise). If you are interested in the topic of homophones or homographs in the English language, check out the reference books of the same name from the series Collins Cobuild English Guides.

To make the topic of homonyms in English more understandable, I present several examples that will help you quickly master this phenomenon in English:

can(tin can) –
wreak(retribution) – reek(stench, bad smell)
soul(soul) - sole(the only one)
route(route) - root(root)
cent(cent) – sent(past tense of verb to send) – scent(aroma)
cell(cell) – sell(sell)
flat(apartment) - flat(flat)
lie(lie) – lye(alkali)
lead(lead) - lead(to lead)
pray(pray) – prey(sacrifice)
need(need) – knead(knead the dough)
isle(island) - aisle(aisle between rows)
foul(dirty, disgusting) – fowl(poultry)
die(to die) – dye(paint, paint)

There may be many more examples, but I think you understand the meaning of homonyms in English. That's why it's necessary to have such a big vocabulary, to easily identify the word you hear, checking it with the context. As you learn the language, you will come across homographs or homophones, pay special attention to them and try to remember them, because in the future they will help you more accurately recognize spoken and written speech.

One of the difficulties of the English language is that it contains many identical words. No, not the same root, not just similar, but exactly the same! Of course, many words have many meanings (polysemic words), but there is another category of words that gives us difficulty. These are homographs - words that are spelled the same but are read differently, have different meanings and are often different parts of speech.

Many students, even with high level knowledge, make mistakes when using homographs in speech. Not knowing the difference in pronunciation (or being unaware of the difference) is a common mistake we make because we tend to remember only one image for one word.

Having memorized one image of a word, it is extremely difficult to “relearn” and remember the second one. Even knowing that a word has two pronunciations, we still manage to use only one.

How can the pronunciation of the same word change, although the letters remain the same? Let's look at typical changes.

Firstly, stress shift: if the first syllable is stressed - the word is a noun, the second is a verb. And, although it seems to us that it is not so important where to put the emphasis, a noun in the place of a verb in a sentence is not a plus in your speech.

Secondly, changes in vowel sounds And diphthongs: [ə] -, [e] -[ɪ], [ɪ]-, [e] -, -, [ɛə]- and others. This occurs due to the fact that in English vowels and vowel combinations have several reading options.

Besides, final sound deafening: [z] - [s] indicates a change in the meaning of the word.

You can distinguish which word is in front of you by the place of the word in the sentence and by the context.

In this article you will find the most frequently used homographs in the English language, or simply words that are spelled the same, but are pronounced differently and have different meaning. For each word, two transcription options are provided with translations and examples of use in a sentence. Even if you have recently started learning English and have not yet encountered these words, it will be useful for you to familiarize yourself with this category of words in order to pay attention to them in the future.

BOW

Bend, bend, tilt, bend, bend; tilt; bow, nod.

Arc (or any curved object), bow (weapon).

He bowed his head in greeting. - He bowed his head in greeting.

The actor made a bow after a series of applause. - The actor bowed after applause.

He drew his bow and was ready to shoot an arrow. - He drew his bow and prepared to release an arrow.

CLOSE

Close.

Close (about time and place), nearby, close (about a friend).

She felt cold and closed the window. - She froze and closed the window.

Her house is close to the shops. - Her house is located close to shops.

Bill is mine closest friend. - Bill is my closest friend.

CONTENT

["kɔntent] content, essence, essence, essence; meaning, meaning.

Satisfaction, pleasure; satisfied, satisfied.

I believe I got the content of his speech. - I think I understood the essence of his speech.

I am content with his speech. - I'm pleased with his speech.

CONTRACT

["kɔntrækt] contract, agreement, agreement.

Conclude a contract, agreement, assume obligations, enter into any legal relationship.

Our lawyer will draw up a contract and send it to you. - Our lawyer will draw up a contract and send it to you.

We will contract with your company to supply the raw materials. - We will sign a contract with your company for the supply of raw materials.

CONTRARY

["kɔntr(ə)rɪ] something opposite, opposite, opposite, inverse; on the contrary.

Stubborn, unpersuasible, intractable, self-willed.

I thought he was not serious. On the contrary, he appeared to be a very reliable person. - I thought he was not very serious. It turned out that he was very reliable.

Why are you so on the contrary? You don't accept any suggestions. - Why are you so stubborn? You don't accept any offers.

CONVERSE

Talk, have a conversation.

["kɔnvɜːs] inverse statement, inverse relation, opposite; rotated, inverted; opposite; located opposite.

We were sitting at the cafe and conversing about small things. - We sat in a cafe and talked about some trifles.

The two twins were converses of each other in spite of similar appearance. - The twins were opposites of each other, despite their external similarity.

DEFECT

["diːfekt] or lack, defect, shortcoming, flaw, defect.

Abandon, change, desert, go over to the enemy’s side.

The product has a defect so I'm going to take it back to the shop. - The product is defective, so I'm going to return it to the store.

A number of prominent scientists and writers defected to the USA. - Many outstanding scientists and writers left for America.

DELEGATE

["delɪgət] delegate; deputy, envoy, representative, authorized.

["delɪgeɪt] delegate, authorize, transfer powers.

We sent four delegates to the conference. - We sent four delegates to the conference.

The President delegated authority to the Prime Minister. - The President transferred powers to the Prime Minister.

DESERT

["dezət] desert, abandoned, abandoned, uninhabited, deserted.

Leave, leave; abandon (family); hand over, leave (territory).

Robinson Crusoe spent many years on a desert island. - Robinson Crusoe spent many years on a desert island.

He deserted his family and got married again. - He left his family and married again.

DELIBERATE

Non-random, carefully planned, balanced; deliberate, deliberate.

To ponder, reflect, leave time for (deep) reflection.

You should consider all the possible outcomes and make a deliberate decision. “You should consider all possible outcomes and make an informed decision.”

Don’t give your answer on the spot. You should deliberate on the decision. - Don't give a spontaneous answer. You should consider your decision.

EXPORT

[ɪk"spɔːt], export, take out (goods).

["ekspɔːt] export, export.

Their products are in domestic demand but they don’t export to other countries. - Their goods are in demand in the domestic market, but they are not exported.

Gas is the main export of our country. - Gas is the main export product in our country.

GRAVE

Grave, burial.

Low (about tone), descending (about the type of stress).

Around the church you can see some unmarked graves. - Around the church you see several unknown graves.

He spoke with a grave tone which sounded weird. - He spoke in a low tone that seemed strange.

IMPORT

["ɪmpɔːt] import, importation (bringing goods into the country from abroad).

[ɪm"pɔːt] import (bring goods into the country from abroad).

Last year we imported raw materials from abroad. - Last year we imported raw materials from abroad.

The import of cars has increased recently. - Car imports have increased recently.

INСENSE

["ɪnsen(t)s] incense.

[ɪn"sen(t)s] to enrage, to infuriate.

The priest burnt incense and I didn’t like the smell. - The priest burned incense and I didn’t like the smell.

He wasn't incensed by the children's behavior. - The behavior of the children infuriated him.

INCREASE

["ɪnkriːs] increase, growth, addition, increase, reproduction, proliferation, expansion, increase.

[ɪn"kriːs] to increase, increase; grow; intensify.

The diagram shows us a sharp increase in sales. - The graph indicates a sharp increase in sales.

The diagram shows us that our sales have increased. - The graph shows that our sales have increased.

INTIMATE

["ɪntɪmət] close friend.

["ɪntɪmeɪt] to announce, to notify, to let know, to notify.

Sam is my intimate friend from the school time. - Sam is my close friend since school days.

The board intimated the new requirements. - The board announced new requirements.

INVALID

["ɪnvəlɪd] sick person, disabled; sick, painful, incapacitated.

[ɪn"vælɪd] having no legal force, invalid.

Didn't become an invalid after he was wounded in the war. - He became disabled after being wounded in the war.

Your access is invalid. - Your access is invalid.

LEAD

Lead.

Leadership, management, initiative; lead, accompany, be a guide.

The bullets are made of lead. - The bullets are made of lead.

A good manager has to lead a team. - Good manager must lead the team.

MINUTE

["mɪnɪt] minute (about time), a short distance (which can be crossed in a few moments), an instant; a moment, a moment.

Small, tiny, bed.

OBJECT

["ɔbʤɪkt], [-ʤekt] object, thing.

[əb"ʤekt] object, protest, raise objections.

PASTY

["pæstɪ] pie with filling.

["peɪstɪ] viscous, pale, unhealthy (about complexion).

Let's buy some pasties for lunch. - Let's buy some pies for lunch.

His face was pasty so I realized that he was sick. - He had an unhealthy complexion and I realized that he was ill.

PRESENT

["prez(ə)nt] gift, gift, present.

Present, give.

This book will be a good present for him. - This book will a good gift for him.

I will present him with this book. - I will give him this book.

PROJECT

["prɔʤekt] project, idea, plan, program.

To give out, to perform, to design, to develop, to draw up a project.

We are currently working on this project. - We are currently working on this project.

Our team projected an implementation of a new motivational system. - Our team has developed an implementation plan new system motivation.

RECREATION

[ˌrɪekrɪ"eɪʃ(ə)n] rest, restoration of health, mental and physical strength, recovery; rest, entertainment, pleasant pastime.

[ˌrekrɪ"eɪʃ(ə)n] creation anew, recreation.

He decided to go to a resort for recreation.- He decided to go to the resort to relax.

The town authorities found money for the recreation of an ancient church. - The city authorities found money to recreate the ancient church.

REFUSE

Reject, refuse; reject.

["refjuːs] garbage, garbage, waste.

ROW

Row, line.

Violation of peace, quiet, order, fight, scuffle; dispute, quarrel, squabble.

I was sitting in the first row. - I sat in the first row.

We had a small row with my brother about a car. - My brother and I quarreled over the car.

SLOUGH

A swampy, viscous, flooded place (a section on the road that is impossible to drive through).

Shed skin (from snakes and other reptiles); characteristic feature, a property that gets rid of, a forgotten habit.

We should detour round the slough. I don't want to be bogged down. - We better go around the swamp. I don't want to get caught up in it.

Smoking is my slough. I gave it up ten years ago. - Smoking is my forgotten habit. I quit ten years ago.

SUBJECT

["sʌbʤekt] topic, subject of conversation.

["sʌbʤekt] dependent, subservient, subservient, subordinate; subdue, conquer.

Present, introduce (document, etc.)

Don't bring up the subject of work. He doesn't like discussing it. - Don't bring up the topic of work. He doesn't like to discuss it.

The population are subject to the laws produced by the government. - The population obeys the laws issued by the government.

I will subject my ideas to the board tomorrow. - I will bring my ideas to the board for discussion tomorrow.

SUSPECT

["sʌspekt] suspect or suspicious person, suspicious.

To suspect, to doubt the truth, not to trust.

The suspect refused to answer the questions of the police. - The suspect refused to answer police questions.

The police officer suspected that the answers weren't honest. - The policeman suspected that the answers were not truthful.

TEAR

Tear, tear, rip, tear off.

Tear.

WIND

Wind, air flow.

Curl, wriggle, bend, twist, wind up.

WOUND

Wound, injury.

Past participle (second form) of wind.

His wound is closing up. - His wound is healing.

We wound the clock. - We wound up the clock.

If you found this material useful, then subscribe to our newsletter, join us in

We don’t think at all about how difficult or easy it will be to fully master it. However, after a while, we are faced with certain difficulties - incomprehensible grammar, illogical phonetics, terrible, creepy words. But this is not all that can come across on the path of learning English. There are also homonyms that cause incredible confusion. These include homonyms themselves, homophones (phonetic homonyms) and homographs (graphic homonyms).

Homonyms- words that have the same sound and spelling, but have different meaning(can – tin can / can – be able, be able to; lean – thin / lean – bend over; bat – bat/ bat – bit).

Homophones– words that are the same in sound, but different in spelling and meaning (whole – whole / hole – hole, knew – knew / new – new, write – write / right – correct).

Homographs- words that are identical in spelling, but different in pronunciation and meaning (entrance - entrance / entrance - to delight; lead - to lead / lead - lead; bow - to bow / bow - bow for shooting).

In this regard, a lot of questions and misunderstanding of the meaning of what is written may arise. An excellent example would be a sentence that can drive even those who have been studying English for a long time crazy:

James while John had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher.

This sentence demonstrates the lexical uncertainty caused by the use of homonyms. If you don’t want to rack your brains over the numerous “hads,” then here’s the solution for you. When adding punctuation marks it turns out:

James, while John had had “had”, had had “had had”; “had had” had a better effect on the teacher.– James, while John used “had”, used “had had”; “had had” made a greater impression on the teacher.

If you really want to test your knowledge, we offer you several suggestions. Can you translate and read them correctly?

The bandage was wound around the wound.
The farm was used to produce produce.
He could lead if he would get the lead out.
The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
They were too close to the door to close it.
When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
Do you know what deer does to do?
After reading the 500-number list repeatedly, her brain became number.

So, let's summarize:

	Same pronunciation	Different pronunciation
Same spelling	Homonyms	Homographs
Various spellings	Homophones	-

Study and remember that any difficulties can always be overcome.

Hydra is everywhere, in telegram, in the torus, in the center of the web.

The spam you've been waiting for: amphetamine, spice, hashish, pure cocaine, heroin, LSD - everything is available on the official Hydra website.

Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Astrakhan, Astana, Kyiv, Minsk, all of Russia.

Instant Hydra stores are safe stores in the torus, working on the principle of bookmarks and treasuries in any city.

Treasure men lay a treasure, you get geolocation and go dig up some goodies.

Vacancies for storekeepers are open, all reviews are positive. Fraudulent stores are blocked, if you were deceived, then write to the administration, we will resolve this issue.

How to bypass

The most common way to bypass blocking is a VPN and the Tor browser.

The government and Roskomnadzor (Roskompozor) are trying in every possible way to prevent the sale of juicy buds and high-quality marijuana. For full operation, stores require reliable sources of bypassing blocking.

What is the penalty for drug use? - not at all, if you use the anonymous Tor network correctly and search for bookmarks correctly.

There are various rumors about reviews of instant stores, that the site does not work, that the stores are a scam, a Hydra Cop store - all these are rumors started by Roskomnadzor bots.

Exchange of bitcoins from Qiwi and back is available on the store’s website in the exchangers section. Anonymous cryptocurrency provides additional anonymity when purchasing.

Today I want to talk about words in English that have the same sound, but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Or they have the same pronunciation, but different spellings. A large number of people constantly get lost in them when reading and writing. And it can be very strange to misread a word that seems to you to have a completely different meaning!

But then it turns out that the meaning of what you read never reaches you. Well, or it gets it, but you don’t understand what Bear (Bear) has to do with it when there is Beer (Beer.) They sound differently, but in the text it sometimes crosses the eye.

They are called Homonyms (same spelling and pronunciation, but have different meanings), Homophones (same pronunciation, but different spellings and meanings), Homographs (spelled the same, but have different meanings and pronunciations). In English it all comes down to the word Homonyms, really. The most common Homonyms for your attention.

1) Different meaning and spelling, but the same pronunciation. Homophones.

DEAR (Dear) – DEER (Deer)