Homonyms
* Definition: Words that sound the same (have the same pronunciation) but have different meanings and spellings.
* Example:
* See (to perceive with the eyes) and sea (a large body of salt water).
* To (preposition) and too (adverb meaning "also").
* There (adverb indicating place) and their (possessive pronoun).
Homographs
* Definition: Words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and may or may not be pronounced the same.
* Example:
* Bow (to bend at the waist) and bow (a weapon used to shoot arrows).
* Lead (a heavy metal) and lead (to guide).
* Wind (to coil) and wind (moving air).
Heteronyms
* Definition: A subset of homographs. These are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and pronunciations.
* Example:
* Bow (to bend at the waist) pronounced "bow" and bow (a weapon used to shoot arrows) pronounced "bō."
* Desert (a dry, barren area) pronounced "dez-ert" and desert (to abandon) pronounced "di-zert."
* Record (a written account) pronounced "rek-ord" and record (to preserve sound) pronounced "ri-kord."
Key Differences
* Homonyms focus on sound.
* Homographs focus on spelling.
* Heteronyms are a special type of homograph that have different pronunciations in addition to different meanings.
In summary:
* Homonyms sound the same but are spelled differently.
* Homographs are spelled the same but have different meanings (and sometimes different pronunciations).
* Heteronyms are a type of homograph where the words are spelled the same but have different meanings and pronunciations.