Common English Heteronyms

 

Vocabulary Builder Course
Heteronyms in English are two words with the same spelling, but different pronunciations and different meanings.

Two common examples are the words close and live:

• close (adj.) with an “s” sound = near, not far
  My house is close to the bus station.
• close (v.) with a “z” sound = shut, opposite of open
  Please close the door when you leave.
• live (v.) with the same “i” as in “sit” = reside
  I live in an apartment in the city center.
• live (adj.) with the same “i” as in “I” (me) = happening at that moment, in that place
  I was interviewed on live TV.
  There’s live music at the restaurant

Here are 15 interesting heteronyms in English:

alternate

• AL – ter – net (n.) – an alternative, the next option
  We have an alternate plan if this one doesn’t work.
• AL – ter – nate (v.) – switch back and forth between two things
  I alternated between hope and despair.

attribute

• AT – tri – bute (n.) – a characteristic of something
  His intelligence is one of his best attributes.
• at – TRI – bute (v.) – give credit for something
  This famous saying is attributed to Benjamin Franklin.

content

• CON – tent (n.) – information or objects that are contained in something else
  The security officer inspected the contents of my suitcase.
• con – TENT (adj.) – satisfied, happy
  I was content with the grade I got on the test.

deliberate

• de – LIB – rit (adj.) – done with intention and awareness, on purpose (opposite of accidentally)
  His comment wasn’t a mistake; it was a deliberate insult.
• de – LIB – er – ate (v.) – discuss, debate
  The managers deliberated for an hour about how to solve the problem.

desert

• DE – sert (n.) – a very dry area of land
  It’s hard to find water in the desert.
• de – SERT (v.) – abandon, leave without coming back
  My father deserted our family when I was only 6.

dove

• duv (n.) – a type of bird
  I could hear the doves singing outside my window.
• dove (v.) – past tense of “dive”
  She dove into the swimming pool

lead

• leed (v.) – direct, show the way, be the leader
  The teacher will lead the students on an excursion.
• led (n.) – a type of metal
  These bullets are made of lead.

minute

• MIN – it (n.) – a period of time, 60 seconds
  Can I call you back in ten minutes?
• my – NUTE (adj.) – extremely small
  This isn’t an exact replica; there are some minute differences.

moderate

• MOD – er – et (adj.) – in the middle, not extreme
  I’m looking for a hotel with a moderate price – not too expensive, not too cheap.
• MOD – e – rate (v.) – to make less extreme, OR to supervise/preside over
  The boss moderated a few of her strongly negative comments so as not to hurt the employee’s feelings.
  The TV producer moderated the panel discussion among scholars of different perspectives.

polish / Polish

• PAH – lish (n. / v.) – to make shiny, or the substance used to make something shiny
  I polished the silver teakettle.
  There’s a can of furniture polish in the basement.
• POH – lish (adj.) – from Poland
  My grandparents are Polish; they immigrated to the U.S. in 1950.

refuse

• re – FYOOZ (v.) – to say no, to reject
  He refused to discuss the topic, saying it was none of my business.
• RE – fyoos (n.) – garbage, waste
  Did you know that most households generate 500 pounds of refuse per year?

separate

• SEP – ret (adj.) – apart, distinct
  There are separate bathrooms for men and women.
• SEP – a – rate (v.) – action of setting things apart.
  You should separate the white clothes from the colored clothes before washing them.

tear

• TEER (n.) – the drops of liquid that come out of your eyes when you cry
  A single teartrickled down his face.
• TARE (v.) – pull into pieces by force; rip (past tense = tore)
  She tore the wrapping paper off the Christmas present

wind

• WIND (n. – “i” as in “sit”) – moving air
  My dog likes to put his head out the car window to feel the wind.
• WAIND (v. – “i” as in “I”) – wrap something around something else
  The doctor started to wind the bandage around my arm.

wound

• WOWND (v.) – past tense of “wind” – wrapped something around something else
  The doctor wound another bandage around my leg.
• WOOND (n.) – injury, especially one in which the skin is broken.
  He sustained serious wounds in the explosion.

Image sources:

• Hamed Saber, Alekc2m, AuntieVal, SuchLifeintheTropics, Zitona, Petaholmes from wikipedia