What is a homophone?

What is a homophone?

• A. A word that means the same as another word.
• B. A word that sounds the same as another word but has a different meaning.
• C. A word that is spelled the same as another word but has a different meaning.
• D. A word that has multiple meanings.

Answer: (B)

A homophone is defined as a word that sounds the same as another word but has a different meaning. This means that even though the pronunciation is identical, the two words may be spelled differently and carry distinct meanings. For example, the words "pair" (a set of two) and "pear" (a type of fruit) are homophones because they are pronounced the same way yet are completely different in their definitions and spellings. The other choices describe different types of linguistic concepts. The first choice refers to synonyms, which are words that share the same or similar meanings. The third choice describes homographs, which are words that are spelled the same but may have different meanings, like "lead" (to guide) versus "lead" (a type of metal). Lastly, the fourth choice refers to polysemy, where a single word has multiple meanings, such as "bank" (the side of a river or a financial institution). Understanding these distinctions helps clarify the precise nature of homophones.

A homophone is defined as a word that sounds the same as another word but has a different meaning. This means that even though the pronunciation is identical, the two words may be spelled differently and carry distinct meanings. For example, the words "pair" (a set of two) and "pear" (a type of fruit) are homophones because they are pronounced the same way yet are completely different in their definitions and spellings.

The other choices describe different types of linguistic concepts. The first choice refers to synonyms, which are words that share the same or similar meanings. The third choice describes homographs, which are words that are spelled the same but may have different meanings, like "lead" (to guide) versus "lead" (a type of metal). Lastly, the fourth choice refers to polysemy, where a single word has multiple meanings, such as "bank" (the side of a river or a financial institution). Understanding these distinctions helps clarify the precise nature of homophones.