[Red]

Originally Posted by MorganGrayson

Ooh! Hubba-hubba and a half, there, testerosterone laden hunkosaurus!

(I got a "MMMOOOOOMMMM!!!" yesterday that curled my blood. I had to go rescue my 26 year old daughter - from a *dead* spider. Now, I admit I have the creepies over a species of bug or two, but the subcategory known as "bug corpses"? Uh...no.)

I'll be spending the rest of the day trying to figure out why dictionary.com gave me two contradictory definitions of "homonym." In one, sound *and* spelling have to be the same but definition different; in the other sound *or* spelling have to be the same and definition different.

There really should be a law.

(Points to anybody *besides* Drav and Red who can tell me why I was thinking about this in the first place.)

Just to confuse you even more, I found this:

Heteronyms are words that are spelled identically but have different meanings when pronounced differently, usually through accenting different parts of the same word.

For example: Lead, pronounced LEED, means to guide. However, lead, pronounced LED, means a metallic element.

Heteronyms are specific types of homographs in which the different pronunciations are associated with different meanings. Basically, words with one spelling, but two pronunciations and two unrelated meanings.


Homonyms are words that are spelled and pronounced the same but have different meanings. In other words, Homonyms are words with one spelling and one pronunciation, but two unrelated meanings, such as bear or left or just or pole.


Homographs are words that are spelled the same but differ in meaning, derivation, or pronunciation. Basically, Homographs are words which have one spelling but two pronunciations and two distinct meanings or usages.

For example: Consider the word tear. Does it rhyme with pear/pair/pare? Or with hear/here?


Homophones are words that are pronounced the same but differ in meaning, derivation, or spelling. In other words, Homophones are classified as words with two spellings and two meanings, but only one pronunciation.

For example: Like pear and pair. And pare. These words are spelled differently but sound the same. The English language is riddled with such aural ambiguities.