Homophones can cause confusion in speech.
Homophones are words that sound the same but mean different things . For example: “echo” and “done” . In the first case, it is a conjugation of the verb eje (throw, throw, dismiss) while, in the second, the word derives from the verb do (perform, produce).
Although, upon hearing them, both words seem the same, they refer to different issues. On the other hand, the letter H allows them to be differentiated in texts. So we can find these homophonous words in phrases like “To achieve this consistency, I add a little cornstarch to the sauce” or “I haven't done my homework yet.”
The concept
Before moving forward with the idea of homophonous words , it is necessary to establish the etymological origin of the expression. In this sense, we can say that the two components derive from Greek:
- Word , which comes from parabolé .
- Homophone , which is the result of the sum of two Greek elements: homos , which can be translated as “equal” , and phonos , which is equivalent to “sound” .
Homophony , in this framework, refers to that which shares sound with something else. In the field of linguistics , it is associated with terms that are pronounced the same but have different meanings .
It is difficult to distinguish homophones by phonetics or intonation.
Examples of homophonous words
The list of homophonous words is very numerous. In addition to the examples presented above, we can highlight others that are used very frequently and that often lead to confusion:
- “A” , which is a preposition, and “ha”, which is a form of the verb haber.
- “Abría” , which is a verbal form of opening, and “would have” , which is from the verb haber.
- “Ala” , which is one of the limbs that birds use to fly, and “hala” , which is an interjection used to inspire encouragement.
- “Art” , which is a discipline that encompasses all the human skills that exist to create a sculpture or a painting, and “harte” , which is a verbal form of fed up.
- “Asta” , which is the word used to indicate the horn of an animal, and “until” , which is a preposition.
- “Ay” , which is an interjection used to indicate pain, and “hay” , which is a form of the verb haber.
- “Ato” , which derives from the verb atar, and “hato” , which is the word used to indicate both a flock and a set of clothing.
Another example of homophonous words are “rate” and “cup,” differentiated according to the presence of the S or the Z : “In the last year the country achieved an unthinkable growth rate,” “I'm going to look for the cups so we can have a drink.” coffee" .
"Deer" y "Servant" también son palabras homófonas. En este caso, la diferencia de escritura radica en la aparición de la C o la S. Cuando se escribe con C, se trata de un animal mamífero. Si hay una S, en cambio, se alude a un esclavo:"We went to spend the day in a field that was full of deer", "The servants had to work from dawn to dusk".
Some cases are even more complex since the homophones are more than two words. This happens with "glass" (a container used for drinking), "baso" (conjugation of the verb basar) and "spleen" (a vertebrate organ): "Could I have a glass of water, please?" , "I base myself on what I learned throughout my career to express myself this way," "The doctor detected an inflammation in my spleen."
In poetry, homophonous words are often used as an aesthetic resource.
Homography and homonymy
When words are not only pronounced the same, but also spelled the same, they are considered homographs as well as homophones. Let's look at the example of “arm” . This same verb has two different meanings: “arm” in the sense of composing or assembling, and “arm” to refer to equipping oneself with weapons.
It is possible to use these homophones and homographs in expressions such as “Tomorrow I am going to start putting this puzzle together” and “If the police forces do nothing, the people are going to arm themselves to defend themselves.”
In addition to homography, homonymy can also be considered. For linguistics, homonyms are written and pronounced the same, but they have different meanings. The terms "bank" (the financial institution) and "bench" (the piece of furniture to sit on) are homonymous. As you can see, they are not synonyms, but there is a polysemy. It is interesting to mention that the lack of synonymy can lead to confusion. Suppose someone says to another person: "I was in the bank for an hour." It could refer to the fact that he spent that time inside a financial institution or that he was sitting in the plaza for sixty minutes.
To minimize errors, there is nothing better than consulting a dictionary and paying attention to spelling and grammar. Being clear about the meaning of each word in its context is key to successful communication in a dialogue or conversation and to understanding a speech without problems.