# Maybe we need a word for this

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-we-need-a-word-for-this/53171>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 5, 2001, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-we-need-a-word-for-this/53171 "2001-02-05T04:57:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ndorward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c2a13f/32.png) [@ndorward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ndorward)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-we-need-a-word-for-this/53171/1 "2001-02-05T04:57:44Z")

</div>

OK, there’s a word for when two different words sound the same (homophone)–e.g. “fair” and “fare”. & there’s a term for words that look the same in two different languages but which mean something different (a “false friend”).

So: is there a term for different words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently? If not does some enterprising soul have a suggestion for a name for this phenomenon?

Examples:

“entrance”  
“multiply”  
“bow”  
“slough”

etc.

OK, not an earthshaking question. Still, I’m sure this is one area that some adventurous lexicographer or linguist has commented on, even dreamt up a term for… --N

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-we-need-a-word-for-this/53171/2 "2001-02-05T05:05:46Z")

</div>

homograph

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-we-need-a-word-for-this/53171/3 "2001-02-05T05:14:24Z")

</div>

And because linguistics always has more than one name for anything: [heteronyms](http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=heteronym).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ndorward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c2a13f/32.png) [@ndorward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ndorward)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-we-need-a-word-for-this/53171/4 "2001-02-05T06:42:53Z")

</div>

Ah, good to know what to call them, even if there’s two options to pick from.

(I note I said “homophone” when I meant “homonym”.)

Hm, the natural next question for any good fan of pointless language-games like palindromes & anagrams is whether it’s possible to construct sentences using homographs that make sense no matter which alternate sense & pronunciation is used, esp. when like “entrance” the word functions as two different parts of speech… I will have to give this some thought. --N

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-we-need-a-word-for-this/53171/5 "2001-02-05T06:50:36Z")

</div>

So we have **hetero** nyms = **homo** graphs ?  
Talk about an identity crisis 😃

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-we-need-a-word-for-this/53171/6 "2001-02-05T07:00:03Z")

</div>

“The thief took a bow.”

Without context it is not apparent whether the thief stole a device used to fire arrows, or bent at the waist.