Today’s Grammar Time will cover homonyms, a term which encompasses both homophones and homographs.

What is a Homophone?

A homophone is a word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not, such as “heir” and “air.” 

More examples include things like “spring,” which could refer to a coil in a mattress or “spring” to move quickly with force; and “pound” such as a weight measurement, which could also mean to beat forcefully.

A homonym can either be a homophone, a homograph, or both at the same time, which is just the kind of behavior you would expect from English. After all, it is an amalgam of random (sometimes arbitrary) rules, shortcuts, and terms.

What is a Homograph?

A homograph is a word of the same written form (spelling) as another but of different meaning and usually origin, whether pronounced the same way or not, such as “bear”—which could mean to carry or support, or it could mean an animal—or “lead,” which could refer to the metal or the action of conducting. More examples can include words like “accent,” ”attribute,” and “digest.”

So, in conclusion and to summarize: