{"id":5628,"date":"2016-09-09T10:33:14","date_gmt":"2016-09-09T14:33:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/english\/?p=5628"},"modified":"2016-09-07T16:34:28","modified_gmt":"2016-09-07T20:34:28","slug":"homonyms-the-scourge-of-the-english-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/english\/homonyms-the-scourge-of-the-english-language\/","title":{"rendered":"Homonyms: The Scourge of the English Language"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Words,

Words, especially English words, can drive you crazy. Let me explain\u2026<\/p><\/div>\n

In spite of technological advances, which have made the life of the modern writer so much easier, sometimes even the most sophisticated software program is of no help whatsoever. Writers can format, layout, and review their work almost instantaneously. Spell check is like having an extra pair of eyes on the page at all times. Yet, even the best writer can fall victim to a homonym<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rancher bread several breeds of cattle.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

That sentence is wrong, but no software will correct it because each word is a perfectly good English word. It should read, \u201cThe rancher bred several breeds of cattle.\u201d<\/em> By adding the extra vowel, the sentence loses its meaning. The words bread <\/em>and bred <\/em>are homonyms.<\/p>\n

For those of us who toil over writing in English every day, the presence of homonyms in our native language is, at best, an annoyance. For those of you who studiously labor to learn English, the homonym can be a nightmare.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to<\/strong> go to<\/strong> the store!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI want to<\/strong> go to<\/strong> the store, too<\/strong>!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIf the two<\/strong> of you want to <\/strong>go to<\/strong> the store, then I do, too<\/strong>!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

See what I mean?<\/p>\n

Strictly speaking, a homonym is a word which is pronounced and spelled like another word, but has a different meaning. There are thousands of them in English! Unfortunately, many English dictionaries make matters more confusing by blurring the definition of a homonym to encompass two different types of homonyms. Each one can make your life miserable.<\/p>\n