Homonyms (also called homophones) are words that sound like one another but have different meanings and sometimes slightly different spellings. Some homonyms, however, are spelled the same, like fast (to abstain) and fast (quick, speedy).  Some homonyms are spelled differently, like pear (the fruit) and pair (a couple/two)

homonyms, homographs and homophones

A PAIR OF PEARS

Homonyms have become the catch-all terms to cover not only homonyms, but their close cousins, homographs and homophones.

The 3 terms –  homophone, homograph, and homonym —refer to words that have the same pronunciation, or they have the same spelling (or both) but they differ in their meaning

Homophones – homo=same, phone = sound.  These are different words, sometimes spelled alike, that sound the same. Bear and bear;  pair and pear.

Homographs – homo=same, graph=writing – are words that although they may be spelled the same, have different meanings and may or may not be pronounced the same way.  For example, compact: a small item, compact: a make-up holder –  Spelled the same, pronounced the same.  Wound – as in an injury and also referring to something which is turned – is spelled the same, but pronounced differently.

Homonyms – homo=same nyms=names – means homophones or a name for words that are both homophones and homographs —alike in both spelling and pronunciation

However, homonyms have come to mean all three of these terms, and we understand homonyms to be words that sound the same, are spelled the same, or both.

some common homonyms 

ad – add
allowed-aloud
ant-aunt
ate-eight
ball-bawl
band-banned
bear-bare
be-bee
billed-build
blew-blue
board-bored
boy-buoy
bye-buy
beach-beech
bread-bred
capital-capitol
caret-carrot
cell-sell
cent-scent-sent
chews-choose
creak-creek
crews-cruise
cymbal-symbol
days-daze
dear-deer
discreet-discrete
discussed-disgust
ewe-you
eye-I
fare-fair
flower-flour
foul-fowl
grate-great
hare-hair
him-hymn
hair-hare
hoarse-horse
hole-whole
hour-our
idle-idol
idle-idol-idyl
in-inn
incite-insight
its-it’s
jam-jamb
jeans-genes
knead-need-kneed
knight-night
knows-nose-no’s
lead-led
leased/least
lessen-lesson
lie-lye
links-lynx

 Homonyms have come to mean all three of these terms, and we understand homonyms to be a words that sound the same, are spelled the same, or both.