Heteronyms and Homophones American English pronunciation
I’ve done some blog entries on words
that are hetero names and on words that
are homophones and today I want to look
at words that are both hetero names and
homophones to begin the word base
spelled ba SS it has the ay as in say
diphthong
it means low in pitch it is also a
stringed instrument base it is a hetero
name with the word bass also spelled bas
s here pronounced with the as in bat
sound bass is a kind of fish it is a
homophone with the word bass spelled bas
II have many meanings one of them being
a bottom support the base for the table
is wood the word doe spelled do it has
the Oh as in no diphthong and it is the
first note in a musical scale doe
however do also spells the word do with
foo as in boo I will do that as soon as
I can so doe and do are hetero names
though is also part of a homophone set
spelled do e Doe is a baby deer spelled
do you gh doe is something that is made
before you bake something for example
you must chill the dough for an hour
before cutting cookies or you must need
the bread dough for 15 minutes dough is
also slang for money the word lead
spelled le ad lead pronounced with the
EH as in bed vowel sound it is a
material or an element lead the lead is
very heavy it is a hetero name with the
word lead in which the EA now takes the
EE as in she vowel sound this is a verb
I will lead you to her lead is also a
homophone with the past tense of the
word lead with which it was a hetero
name lead spelled led is the past tense
of lead I
the tour group yesterday the word
present means a gift she received many
presents for her birthday the emphasis
is on the first syllable which has the
EH as in bed and the second syllable has
the schwa sound present it is a hetero
NIM with the word present where the
emphasis falls on the second syllable
now the first syllable has the e as in
sit and the second syllable has the air
as in bed present it is a verb meaning
to show or offer I present to you mrs.
Jones the plural of the word present
presents as in I gave you two presents
for Christmas is also a homophone it is
with the word present spelled en si e
presents in this case means among other
things attendance your presence is
requested at the meeting the word ro
spelled ro w it can be a line let’s all
line up in a row it can also be a verb
meaning to paddle row has the Oh as in
no diphthong
it is a hetero name with the word rau
where it takes the ow as in now
diphthong and it means a fight my
brother and I always had spectacular
rouse when we were younger ro ro w is
also a homophone with ro ro e which
means fish eggs
I prefer sushi without ro the word slew
spelled SLE o ugh
and pronounced with the ooh as in boo
vowel sound it means a marshy area it is
in a hetero NIM group with two other
words pronounced ow Slough with the ow
as in now diphthong
it is very related to the first
definition it is like a hole with lots
of deep mud in it when it is pronounced
with the UH as in butter with the
unvoiced F sound Slough then it is the
outer layer of skin on a snake it is
also the
of when the snake gets rid of that outer
layer and it is also used figuratively
meaning to dismiss something ice left
over my friends insult of my brother
Slough is also part of a homophone set
when spelled SLE w it is the past tense
of slay he slew the dragon it is also a
large number there were a slew of people
at the baseball game when spelled SL UE
it means to rotate or turn the last word
tier spelled te AR it is what we shed
when we cry
it is a hetero NIM with the word ter
where it takes on the air as in share at
diphthong and it means to rip something
it is a homophone with the word tear
spelled ti ER that means level or
ranking she went to a top-tier law
school