Homonymy

Light (adj) not heavy

Bow [bou] Light (n) illumination
Bow [bau]

by Perfect/ Full
buy homonyms
Homographs

Homophones
1. What are homonyms?
Words identical in pronunciation and/or
spelling but different in meaning.

Eg: here - hear

write - rite - Wright - right

A: Is life worth living?

B: It depends on the liver.
a. Homophones: words identical in pronunciation, but different in
meaning and spelling.
Eg: see – sea /si:/, I – eye /ai/

b. Homographs: words identical in spelling, but different in meaning

and pronunciation.
Eg: wind (n) /wind/ – wind (v) /waind/
lead (n) /led/ - lead (v) /li:d/
bow (n) /bou/ - bow (n-v) /bau/

c. Full homonyms: words identical in both pronunciation and spelling,

but different in meaning.
E.g: “case” – something that has happened
“case” – a box, a container
a. Phonetic change:
writan (before) – to write (now)
sae (before) – to see (now)

b. Borrowing:
- “bank” (n) – “a shore” - native word
“bank” – “a financial institution” - an Italian borrowing.
- “match” (n) – “a game, a contest of skill, strength” - native word
“match” (n) – “a slender short piece of wood used for producing
fire” - a French borrowing.

c. Word building (conversion – the biggest source of homonyms)

Eg: empty (adj) – to empty (v);
to make (v) – make (n);
Enjoy some jokes
One day in school, David was feeling extremely thirsty. He wanted to drink
water.
So he asked: “Miss Roberts, can I drink water?”
Miss was in an angry mood that day. She replied shortly:
“Allowed.”
“Miss, can I drink water?” repeated David.
At his repeated question Miss turned impatiently, (thinking that he just
wanted to confirm) giving the same answer: “Allowed.”
“Miss, can I drink water?” again repeated David.
At this Miss lost her temper.
“Why are you doing this, David? To cheek me?” she stormed.
“Of course not, Miss,” David replied, puzzled. “I was just repeating for the
sake of you, as you couldn’t hear it.”
“Who said that I couldn’t hear?”
“Miss, you said yourself. When you said word ‘aloud’, I repeated it out loud.”
The story occurred at U.S. President Bush’s office. One
day he telephoned and asked a clerk:
"Who is president of China?"
Other side responded, "Woo is president of China." (Hu
Jintao, Chinese president)
Do not believe his ears, Bush asked: "I ask who is
president of China"
The other remains as the first repeat: "Woo is president of
China."
Bush got angry and the clerk got fired.
“Lawyer: Your honor, please give my client a short sentence.
Judge: Ten years in jail.
Lawyer: That’s not a short sentence.
Judge: Yes, it is. It has only four words.”
1. Why was the ocean sad? - Because it was b…
2. Why did the cat come down from the tree? - Because it saw
the tree b…
3. Why are postmen unhappy? - Because they are given the
s…. every morning
4. Why do cows have bells? - Because their h…. don’t work
5. Why can’t a car play football? - Because it has got only one
b…
6. Why was the ice cube so happy? - Because he felt c….
7. Why is a fish easy to weigh? - Because it has its own s….
8. Why did the teacher wear sunglasses? - Because her
students were too b…
9. “Waiter, will the pancakes be l….?” - “No, sir, round”
Practice: in 2 minutes, let’s find 1 example of
homophones, 1 of homographs, 1 of full
homonyms.

- Write some sentences in which you include

pairs of homonyms.
K53
-Give me two teas to 22.
-Mama bear bears a baby bear.
-I went to see the sea in the sunrise.

-Well, there’s a well in the garden.

-Honey, let’s enjoy honey.

Wb2
-Mr. Wright is writing for a traditional rite, right?
K55
- They saw their friends taking a saw there.
- I meet a person buying meat in a market.
-I see my close friend close the door.
-The letter has 100 letters.
- I booked 2 tables for my bookshop keeper in

a bookcafe.
K58
-two students are too lazy to go to school

today

-Atpresent, we are preparing to present our

present.