# Different pronunciations-spelled the same?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-pronunciations-spelled-the-same/274132>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 11, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-pronunciations-spelled-the-same/274132 "2004-11-11T02:38:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-pronunciations-spelled-the-same/274132/1 "2004-11-11T02:38:39Z")

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What is it called when two words have the same spelling, but are pronounced differently? As in ‘I\* **read** \* Goodnight Moon to my son last night. He asked me to _ **read** _ it again to him this evening’? Can you think of any other examples? Thank you.

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-pronunciations-spelled-the-same/274132/2 "2004-11-11T02:42:09Z")

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Heteronyms

(Yes, I had to Google, dammit)

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**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-pronunciations-spelled-the-same/274132/3 "2004-11-11T02:42:18Z")

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Heteronyms. Bass. Wind. Record.

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**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-pronunciations-spelled-the-same/274132/4 "2004-11-11T02:44:36Z")

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Damn you GorillaMan and your fingers of fury! (I didn’t have to look it up. Meh. :))

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**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-pronunciations-spelled-the-same/274132/5 "2004-11-11T02:45:02Z")

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You guys rock! Thanks

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**Author:** ![adirondack\_mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5a626/32.png) [@adirondack\_mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adirondack_mike)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-pronunciations-spelled-the-same/274132/6 "2004-11-11T03:05:19Z")

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[This appeared in the Smithsonian magazine in 1988.](http://jonv.flystrip.com/heteronym/smithsonian.htm)

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**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-pronunciations-spelled-the-same/274132/7 "2004-11-11T03:29:03Z")

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My favorite is Polish and polish.

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**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-pronunciations-spelled-the-same/274132/8 "2004-11-11T07:00:33Z")

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> [@ShibbOleth](#):
>
> My favorite is Polish and polish.

Why yes, it does sort of look like a pole.

I said that to **pun** ish you.

Peace.