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Heteronyms are words that are spelled identically but have different meanings when pronounced differently. For example: Lead, pronounced LEED, means to guide. However, lead, pronounced LED, means a metallic element. Compare heteronyms to homographs, homophones, and homonyms.
Before we look at all our examples of heteronyms, let’s go over what they actually are: Heteronyms are words that have the same spelling but different meanings and pronunciations. For example, “lead” can mean to guide (/liːd/) or a type of metal (/lɛd/).
What Is a Heteronym? Heteronyms are two or more words spelled exactly the same but pronounced differently and have unrelated meanings. For example, in the following sentences, the words lead (pronounced leed) and lead (pronounced led) highlight how heteronyms work:
A heteronym is a homograph that is not a homophone, a word that has a different pronunciation and meaning from another word with the same spelling. Heteronym pronunciation may vary in vowel realisation, in stress pattern, or in other ways.
Heteronyms are a quirk of the English language which can easily cause confusion for non-native speakers. We’ll outline what heteronyms are, some examples, and how to understand them.
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
Heteronyms are words that look the same but have different sounds and meanings. See if you can spot the heteronyms in this sentence: "She got a bull's eye with her bow and arrow, then took a triumphant bow." Heteronym is derived from the Greek heteros, "different," and onoma, "name."