Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs and Heteronyms

Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs and Heteronyms Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs and Heteronyms Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs and Heteronyms By Daniel Scocco There is some confusion and controversy around the definition of homonyms, homophones, homographs and heteronyms. In this article we will explore the difference between those terms. Homonym comes from the Greek homo which means â€Å"same† and onym which means â€Å"name.† When we talk about words, however, what should we use to define their names? The spelling or the pronunciation? Probably both. Homonyms, therefore, can be defined as two or more words that share the same spelling, or the same pronunciation, or both, but have different meanings. Since there are several â€Å"types† of homonyms (e.g., same spelling but different pronunciation, same pronunciation but different spelling, same spelling and same pronunciation), further categorization is needed. We can say that homonyms represent the big category, from which 3 sub-categories emerge: Homophones: two or more words that share the same pronunciation but have different meanings. They may or may not be spelled on the same way. Examples: write and right, desert (to abandon) and desert (a thing deserved) Homographs: homonyms that share the same spelling. They may or may not have the same pronunciation. Examples: present (a gift) and present (to introduce), row (argument) and row (propel with oars) Heteronyms: those are homonyms that share the same spelling but have different pronunciations. That is, they are homographs which are not homophones. Example: desert (to abandon) and desert (arid region) Summing up The Wikipedia article on homonyms has a quite useful graph illustrating all the different combinations. As you can see some homophones are also homographs, and some homographs are also heteronyms. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help†50 Types of PropagandaThe Difference Between e.g. and i.e.?

127 hrs Essay

127 hrs Essay 127 hrs Essay Sarah Mrs. Palmer English 1A 14 October 2014 127 Hours The movie â€Å"127 Hours† is the story of a man named Aron Ralston(James Franco) who is an experienced mountain climber who gets trapped in the Utah canyons when a boulder falls and traps his hand against a canyon wall. He stays trapped in the lonely canyon for a total of five days, during those five days Ralston thinks back on his life and re-evaluates his way of living. He thinks that his selfishness and way of character have gotten him to this situation. He also feels that he this was something that had to happen, his life led up to that moment. Being stuck helped him realize that he should have a better relationship with his parents, just before his trip he had ignore his mother’s phone calls which he regrets later on. I really enjoined watching this movie; the director Danny Boyle did an excellent job directing it from the music choice to the scenery. You would imagine a movie about a man being stuck would be so boring but the director c aught our attention by adding the flashbacks on Ralston’s life. We get to see an inside look at the thought process that Ralston had at the time; we also get to see what he was thinking about. I never lost interest in the movie because Ralston’s story was so inspirational. The choice of music helped make you feel what Ralston was feeling at the time, you almost feel as if you’re the one going through that ordeal as well. This event was a life changing experience for him, this seems like a situation anyone can find themselves in and it puts things in perspective, it make you realize the things we take for granted every day. The thing I really enjoyed about the movie was the message it provided. â€Å"127 Hours† is the ideal story of will power, Ralston tried everything in his power to relieve his arm and when it didn’t work he just never gave up. But during the end of the movie we get the idea that Ralston was thinking about the complete opposite