Heteronym (linguistics)

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In linguistics, heteronyms (also known as heterophones) are words with identical spellings but different pronunciations and meanings. They may vary in vowel realisation or in stress patterns, or both. Heteronyms are a special type of homonym – they are homographs which differ in pronunciation, and are therefore not homophones. For example, the homographs desert (abandon) and desert (arid region) are heteronyms, but mean (intend) and mean (average) are not.

Other heteronyms are:

  • axes[plural of axis] and axes[plural of ax or axe]
  • bass[fish] and bass[instrument]
  • bow[noun] and bow[verb]
  • buffet[furniture] and buffet[strike]
  • close[as in near] and close[to shut]
  • conduct[actions] and conduct[musical verb]
  • content[satisfied] and content[information]
  • convict[verb] and convict[noun]
  • does[female animals] and does[verb]
  • dove[bird] and dove[past of dive]
  • entrance[verb] and entrance[noun]
  • invalid[adjective] and invalid[noun]
  • live[verb] and live[adjective]
  • minute[time] and minute[small]
  • object[noun] and object[verb]
  • Polish[association with Poland] and polish[verb]
  • produce[verb] and produce[noun]
  • project[project management] and project [make your voice heard]
  • read[present tense] and read[past tense]
  • rebel[noun] and rebel[verb]
  • record[noun] and record[verb]
  • row[a noisy disturbance] and row[verb]
  • sewer[person who sews] and sewer[noun]
  • sow[verb] and sow[noun]
  • subject[noun] and subject[verb]
  • tear[noun] and tear[verb]
  • wind[noun] and wind[verb]
  • wound[injure] and wound[put in a coil]


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