* Homophones: Words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.
* Homonyms: This term is often used interchangeably with homophones. However, it can also sometimes be used more broadly to include both homophones and homographs.
* Homographs: Words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and may or may not have different pronunciations.
Here's a breakdown:
Homophones:
* Sound the same: "hear" and "here"
* Different meanings: "I can hear you." vs. "Come here."
* Different spellings: "write" and "right"
Homonyms (in the broadest sense):
* Includes both homophones and homographs.
* Focuses on shared spelling or pronunciation.
* "I can hear you" (homophone) and "I saw a bear" (homonym, not a homophone).
Homographs:
* Spelled the same: "bow" (bend over) and "bow" (weapon)
* May have different pronunciations: "tear" (drop of liquid) and "tear" (rip)
* Different meanings: "The child teared up." and "I tore my dress."
In summary:
* Homophones: Sound the same, different spellings, different meanings.
* Homonyms: Broad term for words with shared spelling or pronunciation, encompassing both homophones and homographs.
* Homographs: Spelled the same, may have different pronunciations, different meanings.