Sunday, October 11, 2009

Homophones and Homographs Defined

What are homophones (a/k/a/ homonyms)?

Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings (ate and eight, for example). It is important for our students to be able to use the correct word in their writing!

What are homographs?

Homographs are words that share the same spelling but have different meanings (bow and bow, read and read). When spoken, the meanings may be distinguished by different pronunciations. It is important that students be able to use the correct pronunciation in their speaking.