Homographs

Homographs

It refers to a word that is spelled the same as another word but has a different meaning.

There are not many words like this, but the common ones are sometimes mispronounced, and learning the correct pronunciation will avoid misunderstandings.

There is a whole class of homographs that end in -ate, usually with one being a verb and the other being a noun or an adjective related to it. For example:

• Advocate:

    1. can be pronounced with a long "a" sound and mean "to speak or write in support         of"
    2. can also be pronounced with a short "a" sound and refer to a person who                    supports or pleads the cause of another.

Some common examples are (capital letters sound stronger to each meaning):

• ADdress (noun – the location of a building)

adDRESS (verb – to write down an address OR to speak to a group of people)

• COMpound (noun – something made of two or more parts)

comPOUND (verb – to combine or add)

• CONtest (noun – a game or event of competition)

conTEST (verb – to challenge or dispute)

• CONtract (noun – a written agreement)

conTRACT (verb – to make smaller in size)

• DEcrease (noun – the total reduction in the amount of something)

deCREASE (verb – to become smaller in amount)

• DIgest (noun – a compilation of information)

diGEST (verb – to break down food in the stomach)

• ENtrance (noun – a place of access such as a door or gate)

enTRANCE (verb – to completely captivate someone’s attention)

EXtract (noun – something taken from a larger work or substance)
exTRACT (verb – to remove or pull out)

• INcline (noun – a slope or hill)

inCLINE (verb – to lean, tip, or tilt something)

INcrease (noun – the amount that something has grown)
inCREASE (verb – to become greater or larger)

• OFfense (noun – the players on a sports team that attack or advance)

ofFENSE (noun – an illegal act)

• PERfect (adjective – something that is as good as it can possibly be)

perFECT (verb – to improve or make something as good as possible)

• PREsent (noun – a gift)

preSENT (verb – to show or give something formally)

• PROduce (noun – food that has been grown, such as vegetables)

proDUCE (verb – to make or create something)

• PROject (noun – a large or extended task or piece of work)

proJECT (verb – to estimate, forecast or predict)

• PROtest (noun – a group of people organized to display objection to something)

proTEST (verb – to express an objection)

• REcord (noun – a written account of information)

reCORD (verb – to keep or store information for future use)

• REfund (noun – the amount of money returned to someone)

reFUND (verb – the act of giving money back to someone)

• REject (noun – an item that is defective or inadequate)

reJECT (verb – to refuse to accept something)

• SUBject (noun – the topic of a conversation or a book)

subJECT (verb – to cause or force something to undergo a process)

• TRANSport (noun – a system for moving objects or items)

transPORT (verb – to carry or move goods from one place to another)

• UPset (noun – an unexpected defeat of a champion sports team)

upSET (adjective – to be disturbed or extremely unhappy)

There are some other rules in English that is important to know