rec.puzzles Archive

List some homographs (words spelled the same but pronounced differently).

language/english/pronunciation/homograph/homographs

Problem

List some homographs (words spelled the same but pronounced
differently).
Show solution
Classes:

A - All of the following "defects" absent
B - Basic meanings are related
C - Capitalization differs ("capitonyms")
D - Different spellings also exist (US vs UK, hyphenation, etc.)
E - Equal pronunciations also exist (US vs UK, regional, etc.)
F - Foreign word, or may be distinguished with accent marks
G - Gcontrived :-), coined, jargon, or other uncommon word


Abbreviations:

NV - corresponding noun and verb
3  - 3-way homograph
4  - 4-way homograph
5  - 5-way homograph

A       ablative (grammatical case, tending to lose parts)
B       abstract (NV)
B       abuse (NV)
BE      accent (NV)
A       acedia (apathy, kind of fish)
3C      acre (land area, Bazilian state, Israeli port)
B       addict (NV)
B       address (NV)
A       adduct (chemical addition product, to draw together)
A       advert (advertisement (British), make reference)
B       advocate (NV)
C       afar (a great distance, Omani city)
BG      affect (alter, emotion)
B       affiliate (NV)
B       affix (NV)
C       agama (Hindu scripture, lizard)
F       agape (wide open, form of love)
B       aged (the ~, ~ cheese)
B       aggregate (NV)
F       agora (marketplace in Greece, Israel money)
G       ai (sloth, ouch!)
C       air (atmosphere, region in the Sahara)
BE      ally (NV)
B       alternate (NV)
G       alum (name of chemical, alumnus)
BD      analyses (plural noun, singular verb (UK))
B       anathema (accursed, consecrated)
B       animate (verb, adjective)
B       annex (NV)
A       appropriate (take posession of, suitable)
B       approximate (verb, adjective)
E       are (form of to be, unit of area)
CF      ares (Greek god, unit of area (plural))
B       arithmetic (noun, adjective)
BE      array (NV)
A       arses (plural arse, plural arsis)
B       articulate (verb, adjective)
5CDFG   as (like, Roman coin, Persian card game, pl. of a, Norse Aesir god)
C       askew (awry, Florida politician)
B       aspirate (NV)
B       associate (NV)
A       ate (past of eat, recklessness)
E       attaches (plural attache, present tense of attach)
B       attribute (NV)
C       august (majestic, month)
A       axes (plural of ax, plural of axis)
E       ay(e) (yes, always)
A       barrage (dam, artillery fire)
C       barre (stripes, town in Vermont)
A       bases (plural of base, plural of basis)
A       bass (~ fiddle, fishing for ~)
B       bathing (take a bath, to bathe)
B       baton (NV) 
G       beer (beverage, one who is)
C       begin (start, former Israeli leader)
C       berry (fruit, French region)
BE      blessed (prosperous, he ~ her)
C       boule (Greek legislature, synthetic gem)
EG      bourgeois (capitalistic, type size)
A       bow(ed) (~ and arrow, ~ to the king)
F       brat (naughty child, ~wurst)
E       buffet (jostle, ~ lunch)
B       bustier (undergarment, more busty)
E       can (metalic container, able to)
F       cave (cavern, Latin beware)
F       charge (rush, diplomat)
A       chela (small claw, disciple)
C       chosen (picked, Japanese name for Korea)
C       chou (cabbage, Chinese dynasty)
B       close (~ call, ~ the door)
B       closer (door ~, more close)
B       coagulate (NV)
A       coax (urge, coaxial cable)
B       collect (prayer, gather)
3CFG    colon (":", colonial farmer, Costa Rican monetary unit)
B       combat (NV)
B       combine (NV)
3A      comes (moves toward, answer in a fugue, dried rootlets)
A       commune (take Communion, administrative district)
A       compact (closely arranged, treaty)
B       complex (complicated, compound)
B       compost (NV)
B       compound (NV)
B       compress (NV)
B       concert (NV)
C       concord (NV, New Hampshire capital)
B       conduct (NV)
B       confect (NV)
B       confederate (NV)
B       confines (NV)
B       conflict (NV)
B       conglomerate (NV)
B       conjugate (NV)
B       conscript (NV)
BE      conserve (preserve, jam)
A       console (soothe, keyboard desk)
B       consort (NV)
B       construct (NV)
B       consult (NV)
B       consummate (verb, adjective)
BE      contact (NV)
E       content (what is contained, satisfied)
B       contest (NV)
B       contract (NV)
B       contrast (NV)
BG      convent (nunnery, convene)
A       converse (logic term, to talk)
B       convert (NV)
B       convict (NV)
3CDE    coop (cooperative, enclosure, personal name)
BE      coordinate (NV)
B       crack down (NV)
B       curate (clergyman, act as curator)
F       cure (heal, parish priest)
B       cursed (NV)
FG      dame (woman, term in the game of Go)
DE      decameter (poetic line with 10 feet, 10 meters (US))
B       decrease (NV)
B       default (NV)
B       defect (flaw, turn traitor)
E       defense (sports term, fortification)
C       degas (remove gas from, French artist)
BE      delegate (NV)
C       deli (delicatessen, Indonesian city)
B       deliberate (adjective, verb)
F       denier (one who denies, former French coin)
A       desert (leave alone, Sahara ~)
B       desolate (adjective, verb)
B       detail (NV)
B       digest (NV)
D       dingy (dull, small boat)
BE      discharge (NV)
B       discriminate (distinguish, opposite of indiscriminate)
B       dismount (NV)
BE      dispatch (NV)
BE      dispute (NV)
E       divers (plural diver, various)
F       do (perform, tonic note of scale)
A       does (~ the buck see the ~?)
B       dogged (followed, determined)
DE      douse (drench, use a diving rod)
A       dove (dived, pigeon)
F       dozen (12, stun (Scottish))
B       drawer (one who draws, chest of ~s)
B       duplicate (NV)
B       elaborate (verb, adjective)
A       ellipses (plural ellipse, plural ellipsis)
A       entrance (door, delight)
BDE     envelop(e) (NV)
G       ergotism (logical reasoning, ergot poisoning)
B       escort (NV)
B       essay (piece of writing, try)
B       estimate (NV)
3AC     even (Siberian people, flat, knitting term)
E       evening (making even, twilight)
CFG     ewe (female sheep, African language)
A       excise (customs duty, cut out)
B       excuse (NV)
B       exploit (NV)
B       export (NV)
BF      expose (NV)
B       extract (NV)
B       fall out (NV)
A       felly (part of a wheel, sinister)
B       ferment (NV)
E       fiasco (failure, bottle)
F       file (tool, sassafras powder)
BDE     fillet (cut of meat/fish, band of ribbon/wood)
B       finance (NV)
3F      fine (minute, finish, brandy)
A       flower (one who flows, bloom)
D       forbear (abstain, ancestor)
C       forest (area with trees, town in Belgium)
G       formal (ceremonious, methylal)
F       forte (strong point, loud)
3F      fourchette (membrane, glove part, heraldry term)
B       frequent (NV)
DEG     genet (civetlike animal, horselike animal)
G       genial (pleasant, of the chin)
E       gibber (incoherent speech, Australian polished stone)
A       gill (volume unit, organ in fish)
G       gin (liquor, dialectical before)
A       glower (sullen look, one that glows)
B       graduate (NV)
3F      grave (accent, burial place, music term)
3F      guara (ibis, wild dog, tree)
C       guy (male, Flemish ruler)
F       gyro (gyroscope, Greek sandwich)
C       hades (hell, angles of geological faults)
B       hand out (NV)
F       he (pronoun, Hebrew letter)
CE      herb (plant, short for Herbert)
B       hinder (hamper, posterior)
C       home (Daniel Douglas Home, residence)
B       house (NV)
C       ill (sick, river in Austria)
B       impact (NV)
B       implant (NV)
B       implement (NV)
B       import (NV)
D       imposter (impostor, customs official)
B       impound (NV)
B       impress (NV)
B       imprint (NV)
G       impugnable (capable of being impugned, obsolete cannot be overcome)
B       incarnate (NV)
B       incense (infuriate, perfume for burning)
B       incline (NV)
B       increase (NV)
B       indent (NV)
B       indurate (NV)
B       inebriate (NV)
B       initiate (NV)
B       insert (NV)
B       inset (NV)
B       insult (NV)
BE      integral (adjective, noun)
B       intercept (NV)
B       interchange (NV)
B       interdict (NV)
B       intermediate (NV)
B       intern (NV)
B       intimate (~ relations, to suggest)
B       invalid (cripple, erroneous)
B       invert (NV)
B       invite (NV)
G       is (form of to be, plural of i)
BE      issue (NV)
B       jagged (slashed or cut, having a zigzag edge)
D       jargon (specialized langauge, yellow zircon)
C       job (occupation, Bible character)
BCF     jubilate (rejoice, joyous song)
CF      junker (trashy car, German name)
CF      kin (relatives, Manchu ancestors)
G       kine (cows, motion picture)
F       lame (crippled, metallic fabric)
F       lamed (crippled, Hebrew letter)
CE      lanai (porch, Hawaiian island)
3A      lather (suds, lath worker, lathe worker)
E       lea (meadow, yarn measure)
A       lead (~ pipe, ~ astray)
BD      learned (learnt, knowledgeable)
BE      legged (past tense verb, adjective)
C       levy (tax, Jewish name)
F       lied (fibbed, German art song)
C       liege (loyal, city in Belgium)
CF      lima (bean, city in Peru)
G       lineage (ancestry, # of print lines)
B       live (~ in peace, ~ audience)
B       liver (filter organ, more alive)
B       lives (~ in peace, for all of our ~)
A       lower (to let down, frown)
CF      luger (luge rider, gun maker)
G       lunger/ed (one who lunges, TB victim (slang))
D       lupine (wolflike, clustered flower)
B       make up (NV)
CG      mallet (hammer, steam locomotive type)
B       mamma (mother, teat)
F       manes (plural of mane, Roman gods)
C       maria (dark areas on moons or planets, south Pacific island)
G       mare (female horse, "sea" on the moon)
F       mate (friend, type of tea)
D       micrometer (measuring device, .000001 meter (US))
C       millet (Jean-Francois Millet, cereal)
B       minute (60 seconds, tiny)
B       misconduct (NV)
3BCE    mobile (movable, city in Alabama, wind-blown sculpture)
B       moderate (NV)
EG      molar (back tooth, chemical term)
3CF     mole (Sudanese people, birthmark, sauce)
A       moped (brooded, fun vehicle)
A       morel (black nightshade, edible fungus)
F       mores (plural of more, manners)
BE      mouse (rodent, to hunt them)
B       mouth (NV)
A       mow (pile of hay, to cut down)
B       multiply (verb, adverb)
3F      nana (nursemaid, mint, dwarfish)
C       natal (South African province, pertaining to birth)
CDE     nestles (snuggles, beverage maker)
A       nestling (snuggling, young bird)
C       nice (city in France, pleasing)
CF      none (not any, fifth canonical hour)
A       number (decimal ~, more numb)
F       nun (woman in religious order, Hebrew letter)
B       object (NV)
B       occult (NV)
E       offense (sports term, attack)
3DG     os (bone, esker, pl. of o)
C       our (belonging to us, river in Belgium)
A       overage (too old, surplus)
B       overcount (NV)
B       overlook (NV)
F       pace (stride, Latin peace)
3CF     pala (language, ivory tree, impala)
B       palatine (of a palace, fur cape and hood)
C       palladian (following Palladio, wise)
G       palsy (friendly (slang), paralysis)
F       pan (frying ~, leaf of betel tree)
4A      papa (father, priest, baboon, shrubs)
B       paralyses (plural noun, singular verb (UK))
BE      parole (NV)
3CF     passe (Arawakan, outdated, roulette term)
A       pasty (pastelike, British meat pie)
4FG     pate (head, food paste, type of cross, porcelain paste for ceramics)
B       patent (noun, adjective)
BF      pave (cover with material, set jewels close together)
A       peaked (sharply pointed, unhealthy looking)
A       peer (equal, one who pees)
B       perfect (verb, adjective)
G       periodic (regularly occurring, ~ acids such as HIO4)
B       permit (NV)
A       perpend (ponder, brick or stone reaching through a wall)
B       pervert (NV)
3A      pili (nut, grass, hair)
F       pique (irritate, ribbed fabric)
A       placer (one who places, gold-bearing surface gravel)
EFG     plies (layers, ballet moves)
C       polish (shine, of Poland)
A       poll (head, group of students)
B       pontificate (NV)
B       prayer (what one prays, one who prays)
B       precedent (NV)
B       precipitate (NV)
B       predicate (NV)
BE      premise (NV)
B       present(s) (give, currently)
E       primer (intro book/material (US), device for priming)
B       procede (NV)
B       proceeds (advances, income)
B       produce (give rise to, fruits and vegetables)
B       progress (to move forward, work in ~)
B       project (planned undertaking, to throw forward)
BE      prospect (NV)
B       protest (NV)
B       purpose (NV)
A       pussy (cat, infected)
B       putter/putting (one that puts, one that putts)
C       quiche (egg pie, department in Guatemala)
F       quite (completely, matador passes)
3CDG    rabat (Morocco capital, clerical garment, pottery polishing piece)
DG      rabbi (clerical garment, Jewish religious official)
B       ragged (teased, tattered)
C       rainier (more rainy, US mountain)
C       ravel (tangle or untangle, French composer)
A       raven (black bird, plunder)
F       re (pertaining to, 2nd note of scale)
B       read (present tense, past tense)
C       reading (~ a book, city in England or Pennsylvania)
F       real (actual, former Spanish coin)
3DEG    rebate(d) (partially refund, rabbet, in truncated form (heraldry))
B       rebel (NV)
B       recall (NV)
B       recap (NV)
B       recess (NV)
B       recoil (NV)
B       record (NV)
D       recreate (relax, create again)
D       recreation (pastime, second creation)
3BD     redress (compensate, compensation, dress again)
B       refill (NV)
BD      reform (improve, form again)
B       refund (NV)
B       refuse (NV)
B       regress (NV)
B       reject (NV)
B       relapse (NV)
D       relay (electromechanical device, lay again)
B       remake (NV)
E       repent (regret, creeping)
B       replay (NV)
D       represent (stand for, present again)
B       rerun (NV)
EFG     res (notes, legal thing)
D       research (investigate, search again)
A       resent (be indignant, sent again)
D       reserve (hold back, serve again)
D       resign (quit, sign again)
D       resolve (settle dispute, solve again)
D       resort (vacation spot, sort again)
F       resume (work summary, restart)
B       retake (NV)
B       retard (NV)
B       retract (NV)
BF      rissole (minced meat fried in pastry, browned by frying in fat)
A       river (watercourse, one who rives)
CE      rodeo (entertainment featuring animals, ~ Drive in Beverly Hills)
F       rose (flower, wine)
B       route/ed/ing/er (path, woodworking term)
A       row (a fight, ~,~,~ your boat)
A       rugged (robust, having a rug)
C       said (spoke, Middle Eastern port)
F       sake (purpose, Japanese drink)
C       salamis (naval battle in 480 B.C., sausages)
3AF     salve (ointment, salvage, hail!)
CE      scotia (concave molding in the base of columns, Latin Scotland)
BE      second (2nd or 1/60 minute, transfer to temporary job)
E       secretive (keeping a secret, giving off a secretion)
3BG     seer (one who sees, prophet, Indian weight unit)
B       segment (NV)
C       seine (net, French river)
B       separate (NV)
A       severer (cutter, more severe)
A       sewer (storm ~, one who sews)
E       sheave (wheel in pulley, gather)
G       shin (body part, Hebrew letter)
A       shive (wood bung, piece of plant matter)
A       shower (one who shows, ~ stall)
G       sin (transgress, Hebrew letter)
AC      singer (Isaac Bashevis Singer, one who singes, one who sings)
A       skied (past tense of ski, past tense of sky)
A       slaver (slave taker, drool)
3A      slough (swamp, cast-off, strike)
3CDE    sol (sun, colloidal suspension, musical note)
DEG     solar (of the sun, chamber in medieval English house)
3F      sous (subordinate, archery term, money)
A       sow (~ seeds, female pig)
C       spree (binge, German river)
A       stamina (endurance, plural of stamen)
A       stingy (meager, able to sting)
EG      stipulate (request explicitly, having stipules)
EG      stupe (hot compress as counterirritant, stupid person)
B       subject (NV)
A       supply (in a supple way, ~ and demand)
B       survey (NV)
B       suspect (NV)
G       swinger (whopper, one that swings)
G       swingle (flax beating tool, single person who "swings")
B       syndicate (NV)
F       tales (stories, Latin added potential jurors)
CF      tang (flavor, Chinese dynasty)
C       tangier (more tangy, city in Morocco)
3C      tanka (Japanese verse form, Eastern coins, Chinese people)
A       tarry (covered in tar, dawdle)
A       taxes (plural of tax, movements of organism in response to stimulus)
G       taxis (cabs, movement of organism in response to stimulus)
A       tear (~ down, shed a ~)
A       thou (you, slang for thousand)
A       thymic (of thyme, of thymus)
A       tier (one who ties, row or rank)
3F      titi (tree, monkey, petrel)
A       toots (honks, informal term of address)
B       torment (NV)
FG      touches (contacts, instances of saying touche)
A       tower (one who tows, leaning ~)
BE      transfer (NV)
B       transform (NV)
B       transplant (NV)
B       transport (NV)
BE      transpose (NV)
CG      triton (large snail or Greek demigod, nucleus of tritium)
G       tropic (near the equator, seeking [biology])
G       tush (long pointed tooth, buttocks (slang))
B       ultimate (NV)
B       undercount (NV)
DG      unionized (~ labor, ~ hydrogen)
B       update (NV)
B       uplift (NV)
B       upset (NV)
G       us (we, plural of u)
B       use (NV)
F       vale (valley, Latin farewell)
A       viola (musical instrument, pansy or violet)
A       violist (viol player, viola player)
F       vise (tool for holding work, visa)
C       vital (essential, Palestinian author)
E        whoops (cry of joy, cry of dismay)
A       wicked (evil, past of wick)
A       wind/ing/y (~ the clock, north ~)
F       won (past of win, Korean money)
CF      worms (invertebrates, German city)
A       wound (injury, wrapped around)
C       xi (Greek letter, Chinese river)
E       yak (ox, laugh)
C       zemi (fetish, Naga people)
G       zeus (Greek god, Zeidae)