What are Synonyms?

Synonyms are different words with identical or at least similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of
being a synonym is called synonymy. An example of synonyms are the words car and automobile, or announcements and declarations.

Synonym

Synonyms can be any part of speech (e.g. nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs or prepositions), as long as both members of the pair are the same
part of speech.

• student and pupil (noun)

• petty crime and misdemeanor (noun)
• buy and purchase (verb)
• sick and ill (adjective)
• quickly and speedily (adverb)
• on and upon (preposition)

Antonyms

Antonyms are words that mean the opposite of other words. The antonym of big is small, for example. Pretty easy, right? Well, slow down
there, there's something to be learned in this. English lets its speakers make its own antonyms just by adding a prefix. The ability to make up
one's own words and have them be real words is something truly lovable about English.

Mis, dis, dys, mal, in, and unare all prefixes one can affix to words to create antonyms.

Examples:

• Official becomes unofficial.

• Flexible becomes inflexible.
• Adroit becomes maladroit.
• Functional becomes dysfunctional.
• Peptic becomes dyspeptic.
• Philanthropist becomes misanthropist.

Synonyms

Synonyms are words that share meanings with other words. There are many reasons why synonyms are great. Here are three:

1. They make it possible for writers to create a mood with the nuances of their vocabularies. "Walk" is different than "saunter," and
"drink" is different than "guzzle." The differences are in the mind, and when a writer is trying to paint a picture in a reader's mind,
those differences can make or break a writer's prose.
2. They give writers more rhythmic tools. "Absquatulate" means the same thing as "abscond," but they are rhythmically very different.
Every serious writer thinks about the rhythm of what he or she produces. Synonyms give writers more control over that rhythm.
3. They sound fancy. A little of this goes a long way, like using "utilize" for "use," but sometimes knowing a better-sounding word
makes you sound intelligent. If you don't use fancy synonyms, you should at least be able to know when someone else is. Certain
people use argot that isn't immediately understandable, but if you know a lot of synonyms, you will never be lost. Plus, if someone
fails to comprehend your own jargon, you can use a synonym they know to get your point across. In writing, you can work on tone by
saying "discharging a firearm" instead of "firing a gun" or "disenfranchised youths" for "kids without voices."

Homonyms

Homonyms are words that sound alike but have different meanings. They're great. They are source of entertainment, confusion, and inspiration.

Accept, Except:

Affect, Effect:

Affect is usually a verb meaning to influence. Effect is usually a noun meaning result. The drug did not affect the disease, and it
had several adverse side effects. Effect can also be a verb meaning to bring about. Only the president can effect such a dramatic
change.
Allusion, Illusion:

An Allusion is an indirect reference. An illusion is a misconception or false impression. Did you catch my allusion to Shakespeare?
Mirrors give the room an illusion of depth.

Capital, Capitol:

Capital refers to a city, capitol to a building where lawmakers meet. Capital also refers to wealth or resources. The capitol has
undergone extensive renovations. The residents of the state capital protested the development plans.

Climactic, Climatic:

Climactic is derived from climax, the point of greatest intensity in a series or progression of events. Climatic is derived from
climate; it refers to meteorological conditions. The climactic period in the dinosaurs' reign was reached just before severe climatic
conditions brought on the ice age.

Elicit, Illicit:

Elicit is a verb meaning to bring out or to evoke. Illicit is an adjective meaning unlawful. The reporter was unable to elicit
information from the police about illicit drug traffic.

Emigrate from, Immigrate to:

Emigrate means to leave one country or region to settle in another. In 1900, my grandfather emigrated from Russia. Immigrate
means to enter another country and reside there. Many Mexicans immigrate to the U.S. to find work.

Principle, Principal:

Principal is a noun meaning the head of a school or an organization or a sum of money. Principle is a noun meaning a basic truth
or law. The principal taught us many important life principles.

Than, Then:

Than is a conjunction used in comparisons; then is an adverb denoting time. That pizza is more than I can eat. Tom laughed, and
then we recognized him.

There, Their, They're:

There is an adverb specifying place; it is also an expletive. Adverb: Sylvia is lying there unconscious. Expletive: There are two
plums left. Their is a possessive pronoun. They're is a contraction of they are. Fred and Jane finally washed their car. They're
later than usual today.

To, Too, Two:

To is a preposition; too is an adverb; two is a number. Too many of your shots slice to the left, but the last two were right on the
mark.

Your, You're:

Your is a possessive pronoun; you're is a contraction of you are. You're going to catch a cold if you don't wear your coat.

EXAMPLE: You're shoes are muddy. "You are shoes are muddy" does not work, so
it should be written as: Your shoes are muddy.

Words that don't sound alike but confuse us anyway:

Lie, Lay:

Hint: Chickens lay eggs. I lie down when I am tired.

Set, Sit:
Set is a transitive verb meaning to put or to place. Its principal parts are set, set, set. Sit is an intransitive verb meaning to be
seated. Its principal parts are sit, sat, sat. She set the dough in a warm corner of the kitchen. The cat sat in the warmest part of
the room.

Who, Which, That:

Do not use which to refer to persons. Use who instead. That, though generally used to refer to things, may be used to refer to a
group or class of people. I just saw a boy who was wearing a yellow banana costume. I have to go to math next, which is my
hardest class. Where is the book
–noun
1. HOMOPHONE (def. 1).
2. a word the same as another in sound and spelling but different in meaning, as chase “to pursue” and chase “to ornament metal.”

Homophones

1. accessary, accessory
2. ad, add
3. ail, ale
4. air, heir
5. aisle, I'll, isle
6. all, awl
7. allowed, aloud
8. alms, arms
9. altar, alter
10. arc, ark
11. aren't, aunt
12. ate, eight
13. auger, augur
14. auk, orc
15. aural, oral
16. away, aweigh
17. awe, oar, or, ore
18. axel, axle
19. aye, eye, I
20. bail, bale
21. bait, bate
22. baize, bays
23. bald, bawled
24. ball, bawl
25. band, banned
26. bard, barred
27. bare, bear
28. bark, barque
29. baron, barren
30. base, bass
31. bay, bey
32. bazaar, bizarre
33. be, bee
34. beach, beech
35. bean, been
36. beat, beet
37. beau, bow
38. beer, bier
39. bel, bell, belle
40. berry, bury
41. berth, birth
42. bight, bite, byte
43. billed, build
44. bitten, bittern
45. blew, blue
46. bloc, block
47. boar, bore
48. board, bored
49. boarder, border
 50. braid, brayed
51. braise, brays, braze
52. brake, break
53. bread, bred
54. brews, bruise
55. bridal, bridle
56. broach, brooch
57. bur, burr
58. but, butt
59. buy, by, bye
60. buyer, byre
61. calendar, calender
62. call, caul
63. canvas, canvass
64. cell, sell
65. censer, censor, sensor
66. cent, scent, sent
67. cereal, serial
68. cheap, cheep
69. check, cheque
70. choir, quire
71. chord, cord
72. cite, sight, site
73. clack, claque
74. clew, clue
75. climb, clime
76. close, cloze
77. coal, kohl
78. coarse, course

79. coign, coin

A homograph (from the Greek: ὁμός, homós, "same" and γράφω, gráphō, "write") is one of a group of words that share the same spelling but
have different meanings. When spoken, the meanings may be distinguished by different pronunciations (in which case the words are also
heteronyms) or they may not (in which case the words are also both homophones and homonyms[1]).

List of English homographs

Homographs are words that are spelled the same yet have different meaning. They may be pronounced differently in speech.

• abuse
o /əˈbjuːs/ (n) There is a time, the hoary head of inveterate abuse will neither draw reverence, nor obtain protection.
o /əˈbjuːz/ (v) It is the characteristic of the English drunkard to abuse his wife and family.
• address
o AmE and BrE /əˈdrɛs/ (v)
o AmE /ˈædrɛs/ BrE /əˈdrɛs/ (n)
• allied
o /əˈlaɪd/ (a) The vice is of a great kindred: it is well allied.
o /ˈælaɪd/ (a) The Treaty of Vienna..had bound the Allied Powers to make war together upon Napoleon.
• ally
o /ˈælaɪ/ (n) He became the ally of a boy named Aubrey Mills and founded with him a gang of adventurers in the avenue.
o /əˈlaɪ/ (v) No foreign power will ally with us.
• articulate
o /ɑrˈtɪkjəleɪt/ (v) The tourists are the ones who always try to articulate every syllable when they speak the language.
o /ɑrˈtɪkjəlɨt/ (a) In one decade, the image of youth went from radicals uttering rage-filled rhetoric to the much less articulate
valley girl or surfer wannabe.
• buffet
o AmE /bəˈfeɪ/, BrE /ˈbʌfeɪ/ (n) Steamed clams, prawns in mustard sauce and barbecued lamb with cilantro sat at the left edge
of the buffet table.
o /ˈbʌfət/ (v) It takes a catastrophe every now and then to buffet the nation
• concert
 o /ˈkɒnsərt/ (n) We saw the kd lang in concert.
o /kənˈsɜrt/ (v) We had to concert all our energy to stay awake.
• confines
o /ˈkɒnfaɪnz/ (n pl) Work within the confines of the contract.
o /kənˈfaɪnz/ (v) But the contract confines my creativity!
• conflict
o /ˈkɒnflɪkt/ (n) The mother said to her belligerent son, "Violence is no way to resolve conflict!"
o /kənˈflɪkt/ (v) The two news reports seem to conflict each other.
• console
o /ˈkɒnsoʊl/ (n) The boy was addicted to playing on his video game console.
o /kənˈsoʊl/ (v) Since they had raised him from birth, Jack and Jill had to console each other after their dog died.
• contract
o /ˈkɒntrækt/ (n) The contract was supposed to expire seven years after it was signed.
o /kənˈtrækt/ (v) Derek firmly stated that he would rather contract pneumonia and die than stand outside wearing that
ridiculous pink and green poncho.
• coop
o /ˈkup/ (n)
o /ˈkoʊ.ɒp/ (n) also co-op
• crooked
o /ˈkrʊkt/ (v) I crooked my arm to show the sleeve.
o /ˈkrʊkɨd/ (a) Unfortunately, that just made the sleeve looked crooked.
• des
o /də/ (n) I moved from Seattle about 10 miles south to Des Moines.
o /deɪ/ (n) I needed a big dog, so I bought a Bouvier des Flandres.
o /dɛz/ (n) We spent the day in Vegas, and at night drove out to the des.
o /dɛz/ Hated Chicago, so we moved to Des Plaines.
• desert
o /dəˈzɜrt/ (v) To desert the military is a crime.
o /ˈdɛzərt/ (n) The Gobi is a large desert in Asia.
• discard
o /ˈdɪskɑrd/ (n) Toss it in the discard pile.
o /dɪsˈkɑrd/ (v) But I don't want to discard it!
• dove
o /ˈdʌv/ (n) The dove is a kind of bird.
o /ˈdoʊv/ (v) He dove into the pool. (BrE uses "dived" instead)
• lima
o /ˈlaɪmə/ (attributive) The kids on You Can't Do That on Television always dreaded being served liver and lima beans.
o /ˈliːmə/ (pn) Sancho rode his donkey through the mountains of Lima.
• live
o /ˈlɪv/ (v) I don't need you to determine whether I live or die.
o /ˈlaɪv/ (a) I went to see Alanis Morissette live in concert.
• mean
o /ˈmiːn/ (v) What does that word mean?
o /ˈmiːn/ (a) Don't be so mean to me.
o /ˈmiːn/ (n) The geometric mean of 3 and 12 is 6.
• minute
o /ˈmɪnɨt/ (n) The guests are going to start flooding in any minute now.
o /maɪˈnjuːt/ (a) Though I thought the sandals all looked the same color, Tiffany had to explain the minute differences between
umber, burnt umber and terracotta.
• mobile
o AmE /ˈmoʊbiːl/, BrE /ˈmoʊbaɪl/ (n) The baby sat in awe at the bright colors on the mobile.
o AmE /ˈmoʊbəl/, BrE /ˈmoʊbaɪl/ (a) Although most animals are mobile, the sponge is sessile.
o /ˈmoʊbiːl/ (pn) They packed up their trailer and moved from Auburn to Mobile.
• moped
o /ˈmoʊpt/ (v) Depressed, he moped around the house for days.
o /ˈmoʊpɛd/ (n) She drove her new moped to school.
• polish
o /ˈpɒlɪʃ/ (v) You need to polish those boots.
o /ˈpoʊlɪʃ/ (a) I'm of Polish ancestry.
• present
o /ˈprɛzənt/ (a) All need to be present for a unanimous vote.
 o /ˈprɛzənt/ (n) I need to buy my sister a present for her birthday.
o /ˈprɛzənt/ (n) "He who neglects the present moment throws away all he has." (Friedrich Schiller)
o /prəˈzɛnt/ (v) He will present his ideas to the Board of Directors tomorrow.
• primer
o /ˈpraɪmər/ (n) Apply a coat of primer before you paint.
o /ˈprɪmər/ (n) Open your primer to page 12, and we'll begin reading.
• produce
o AmE /ˈproʊduːs/ BrE /ˈprɒdjuːs/ (n) The Americans only consume a small portion of this produce, and they are willing to
sell us the rest. (Alexis de Tocqueville, American Institutions And Their Influence)
o AmE /prəˈduːs/ BrE /prəˈdjuːs/ (v) The judicial power is by its nature devoid of action; it must be put in motion in order to
produce a result. (Alexis de Tocqueville, American Institutions And Their Influence)
• project
o /ˈprɒdʒɨkt/ (n) The project deadline is next week.
o AmE /prɵˈdʒɛkt/ (v) The diva can project her voice to the back of the theater.
• putting
o /ˈpʌtɪŋ/ (v) The final step in each hole in golf is putting the ball across the green into the cup.
o /ˈpʊtɪŋ/ (v) She is putting on a show for you.
• ragged
o /ˈræɡd/ (v) She ragged on me about my ragged jeans.
o /ˈræɡɨd/ (a) But my ragged jeans are my trademark, I responded.
• read
o /ˈriːd/ (n) The new Robin Cook book is an awful read.
o /ˈrɛd/ (v) Once I had read the note I tore it into little bits and swallowed them.
• real
o /ˈriːl/ (a) My '67 El Camino is the real deal.
o /reɪˈɑːl/ (n) When I drive it down El Camino Real, all the girls stop and stare.
• record
o AmE /ˈrɛkərd/ BrE /ˈrɛkɔːd/ (n) She played a vinyl record on her old turntable.
o /rɨˈkɔrd/ (v) Did he record the concert with his camcorder?
• refuse
o /rɨˈfjuːz/ (v) If you refuse the background check, we cannot hire you.
o /ˈrɛfjuːs/ (n) Please clean up all of your refuse.
• resume
o /rɨˈzjuːm/ (v) Resume breathing or you will surely faint!
o /ˈrɛzjʊmeɪ/ (n) My resume makes ample use of the font Impact. (however this may not be a true homograph since the latter
form is correctly spelled "résumé")
• riches
o /ˈrɪtʃɨz/ (n) The stranger was much pleased with the great number of shops full of merchandize, lighted up to the best
advantage. He was astonished at the display of riches in Lombard-Street and Cheapside. (Tobias Smollett, Travels through
France and Italy)
o /ˈriːʃ/ (n) (part of nouveau riches) Whatever is left of politics in this world of nouveau riches and nouveau Russes, is now
spelled with a very small "p." (Gregory Freidin, "Moscow Nouveau: From the Barricades to Business", Los Angeles Times,
August 21, 1994)
• root
o /ˈruːt/ or /ˈrʊt/) (n) The tree's root was rotted.
o /ˈruːt/ (v) A pig can be trained to root for mushrooms.
• row
o /ˈraʊ/ (n) The vicar and parson had an awful row at the tavern.
o /ˈroʊ/ (n) This is for the niggaz that was down from day one: welcome to death row. (Dr. Dre, The Chronic)
o /ˈroʊ/ (v) What I really wanted besides career and marriage and kids and comfort was, I decided, to learn how to row boats
and how to race them: four- and eight-man boats first, then two-man boats, then, finally and preeminently, a single scull.
(Barry Strauss, Rowing against the Current)
• separate
o /ˈsɛprɨt/ (a) This should be divided into packets of ten cartridges each, which should be rolled up in flannel and hermetically
sealed in separate tin canisters. (Samuel W. Baker, The Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia)
o /ˈsɛpəreɪt/ (v) To stalk these wary antelopes I was obliged to separate from my party, who continued on their direct route.
(Samuel W. Baker, The Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia)
• sewer
o /ˈsjuː.ər/ (n) Broken sewer pipes can be a smelly mess.
o /ˈsoʊ.ər/ (n) "We might choose the best sewers and let them put in at least a few stitches, so that they can feel they have a
share in it." (Kate Douglas Wiggin, The Flag-Raising)
• sow
 o /ˈsaʊ/ (n) The sow suckled her newborn piglets.
o /ˈsoʊ/ (v) The farmer will sow oats in the back forty.
• tear
o /ˈtɛər/ (v) & (n) and haven't they been ready to tear the clothes off my back too? (Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People)
o /ˈtɪər/ (n) Second, the greatest and last of the Hohenstaufen, or refrain from dropping a tear over his sad failure. (O. A.
Brownson, The American Republic)
• tier
o /ˈtɪər/ (n) Our seats are in the third tier of the stadium.
o /ˈtaɪ.ər/ (n) Will the tier be around to make these knots?
• use
o /ˈjuːz/ (v) Use a napkin!
o /ˈjuːs/ (n) What's the use? It's all down my shirt.
• whoop
o /ˈhwʊp/ (v) Pa says he's gonna whoop you good if you don't learn some manners!
o /ˈhwuːp/ (v) When they scored a goal, he began to whoop and holler.
• wind
o /ˈwaɪnd/ (v) How did we wind up in Kansas?
o /ˈwɪnd/ (n) The wind blew from the northeast.
• won
o /ˈwʌn/ (v, pt) After we won the match, we went out for won tons.
o /ˈwɒn/ (a) Boiled won tons are called swei jyau; fried, they're called jyau dz.
• wound
o /ˈwaʊnd/ (v) The rope was wound around his wrists.
o /ˈwuːnd/ (n) She died from a fatal chest wound.

Polysemy refers to a word that has two or more similar meanings:

The house is at the foot of the mountains

One of his shoes felt too tight for his foot

'Foot' here refers to the bottom part of the mountains in the first sentence and the bottom part of the leg in the second.