What Are Homophones – The topic of today’s class discussion is “Homophones”. The “Homophones” class is part of Verbal idioms, Basic English. The class discussed Homophones.
What Are Homophones
What Are Homophones? – Meaning and Definition
Homophones are words that sound similar to another word but have different spellings and meanings. Understanding homophones can help you in building your vocabulary. Only if you learn the spellings and meanings of the homophones will you be able to use them correctly.
Now, let us look at some of the definitions given by different dictionaries to understand what homophones are. According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, a homophone is defined as “ a word that is pronounced like another word but has a different spelling or meaning.” The Cambridge Dictionary gives a similar definition. According to them, a homophone is “a word that is pronounced the same as another word but has a different meaning or spelling, or both.”
A homophone, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “one of two or more words pronounced alike but different in meaning or derivation or spelling.” The Collins Dictionary defines homophones as “words with different meanings which are pronounced in the same way but are spelled differently.”
Usage of Homophones in Sentences – Points to Remember
Homophones, as already mentioned, have similar sounds but different spellings and meanings. So it is necessary that you understand and learn the difference between the homophone pairs. One way to remember them is by associating them with their functions and analyzing which part of speech a particular word in the pair belongs to. However you choose to remember it, only continuous usage of these words in sentences will help you understand how they work.
Difference between Homophones, Homographs, and Homonyms
Let us take a look at the differences between homophones, homographs, and homonyms.
| Homophones | Homographs | Homonyms |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Details about What Are Homophones – English Grammar :