homophone etymology

Etymology

The word "homophone" is derived from the Greek roots "homo," meaning "same," and "phone," meaning "sound."

Meaning

A homophone is a word that has the same pronunciation as another word, but has a different meaning and spelling.

Origin

The concept of homophones has been recognized for centuries. In ancient Greek, the term "homophonos" was used to describe words that sounded alike but meant different things.

The English word "homophone" was first used in print in the 17th century. However, it became more widely known in the 19th century, with the advent of dictionaries and grammars that listed and explained homophones.

Examples

There are many examples of homophones in English, including:

  • bare/bear
  • brake/break
  • fare/fair
  • knight/night
  • meet/meat
  • pool/pull
  • tail/tale
  • waist/waste
  • wear/where
  • weather/whether

Homophones can be a source of confusion in writing and speaking. It is important to be aware of the different meanings of homophones and to use them correctly in context.

homophone relate terms

  • homophony

    Etymology The word homophony comes from the Greek words homos same and phone sou

  • homophone

    Etymology The word homophone is derived from the Greek roots homo meaning same an

  • abandon

    Etymology Origin Middle English abandonar from Old French abandoner from Late Latin

  • affable

    Etymology Affable comes from the Latin word affabilis meaning approachable easy to

  • anthem

    Etymology The word anthem comes from the Middle English anteme which in turn derive

  • antiphon

    Etymology Ancient Greek ἀντίφωνος antiphōnos Literally means answering i

  • aphasia

    Etymology Aphemia Greek meaning speechlessness ia Greek suffix indicating a con

  • aphonia

    Etymology and Origin Word Aphonia Etymology Greek words a without phone voice

  • aphonic

    Etymology The word aphonous originates from the Greek word a without and phonos

  • apophasis

    Etymology From Ancient Greek ἀπόφασις apóphasis from ἀπό apó away

  • apophatic

    Etymology Apo Greek for away from or apart from Phatic Greek for pertaining to s

  • banal

    Etymology Latin banalis meaning common ordinary trivial Old French banal Meani

  • bandit

    Etymology The word bandit comes from the Italian word bandito which means exile or

  • banish

    Etymology The word banish comes from the Old French word banir which means to exile

  • banlieue

    Etymology The word banlieue comes from the Old French banlieue which in turn derive

  • banns

    Etymology The word banns originates from Middle English banes which is derived from

  • bifarious

    Etymology Bifarious Latin bi two farius different related to face or form

  • blame

    Etymology The word blame originates from the Middle English word blamen which in tur

  • boon

    Etymology Middle English boun boone Old English bēn Proto Germanic bōnaz Proto I

  • cacophony

    Etymology The word cacophony is derived from the Greek word kakophōnia which is a c

  • confess

    Etymology Middle English confessen from Old French confesser from Latin confessus p

  • contraband

    Etymology Late Middle English from Anglo Norman French contreban literally meaning a

  • defame

    Etymology and Origin of Defame The word defame originates from the Latin word diffa

  • dysphemism

    Etymology Dys Greek prefix meaning bad or difficult Phemism Greek word meaning

  • euphemism

    Etymology Euphemism derives from the Greek words eu good and phemi speak Mean

  • euphony

    Etymology Euphony comes from the Greek word euphōnía meaning sweet sound or soundi

  • fable

    Etymology The word fable derives from the Latin fabula which itself is derived from

  • fabulous

    Etymology The word fabulous originates from the Latin word fabula which means stor

  • fado

    Etymology The word fado is derived from the Latin word fatum meaning fate or dest

  • fairy

    Etymology The word fairy is derived from the Old French word faerie which in turn e

  • fame

    Etymology The word fame traces its roots back to the Latin word fama meaning report

  • famous

    Etymology is the study of the origin of words and how their meanings have changed over tim

  • fandango

    Etymology The word fandango comes from the Portuguese word fandango which in turn is

  • fatal

    Etymology Origin Latin fatalis from fatum fate Meaning Of or relating to fate

  • fate

    Etymology The word fate comes from the Latin word fatum which means prophecy or d

  • fateful

    Etymology The word fateful is derived from the Old English word fætle meaning fat

  • gramophone

  • heterophemy

    Etymology Derived from Greek heteros meaning other different phemē meaning

  • homophone

    Etymology The word homophone is derived from the Greek roots homo meaning same an

  • ineffable

    Etymology The word ineffable comes from the Latin word ineffabilis which means uns

  • infamous

    Etymology The word infamous is derived from the Latin word infamis meaning having

  • infamy

    Etymology Middle English infamie from Old French infamie from Late Latin infamia fro

  • infant

    Etymology The word infant comes from the Latin word infans which means not speaking

  • infantile

    Etymology Latin infans meaning child too young to speak Late Latin infantilis

  • infantry

  • mauvais

    Etymology Mauvais is a French word derived from the Latin word malus meaning bad o

  • megaphone

    Etymology The word megaphone comes from the Greek words megas meaning great and

  • microphone

    Etymology The word microphone is derived from two Greek words μικρός mikros

  • monophonic

    Etymology Mono Greek for single Phonic Greek for sound Meaning Monophonic r

  • nefandous

    Etymology Latin nefandus ne not fari to speak Meaning Wicked abomin

  • nefarious

    Etymology From Latin nefarius from ne not fas right Meaning Wicked e

  • phatic

    Etymology The term phatic etymology is derived from the Greek words phatic relating

  • phone

    Etymology The word phone is derived from the Greek word phōnē meaning sound or

  • phoneme

    Etymology The word phoneme is derived from the Greek words phonēma φώνημα m

  • phonetic

    Phonetic Etymology Phonetic etymology is the study of the relationship between the sounds

  • phonic

    Etymology Greek phone sound etymon true meaning Meaning Phonic etymology

  • phonics

    Etymology and Meaning The word phonics is derived from the Greek word phonos which m

  • phono

    Etymology Greek phōnē sound Meaning Relating to sound or the human voice

  • pheme

    Etymology The word pheme comes from the Greek word φήμη phēmē meaning rumor

  • Polyphemus

    Etymology Poly Greek many phemos pheme phēnai Greek speak tell Meani

  • polyphony

    Etymology The term polyphony comes from the Greek words poly πολύς meaning

  • preface

    Etymology The word preface comes from the Latin word praefatio which means somethi

  • profess

    Etymology The word professor originates from the Latin word professus which means

  • profession

    Etymology The word profession derives from the Latin word professio meaning a public

  • professional

    Etymology Origin Latin Root pro forward fateri to declare or confess Mean

  • professor

    Etymology Origin Latin professor Meaning one who professes Meaning and Origin

  • prophecy

    Etymology The word prophecy is derived from the Greek word propheteia which means

  • prophet

    Etymology Ancient Greek προφήτης prophētēs Latin propheta Meaning A

  • prophetic

    Etymology Greek prophetes προφήτης Latin propheta Old English profeta

  • quadraphonic

    Etymology Quadraphonic is derived from the Greek words Tetra τετρά four Ph

  • symphony

    Etymology The word symphony is derived from the Ancient Greek word συμφωνία

  • telephone

    Etymology The word telephone is derived from two Greek roots Tele τῆλε me

  • xylophone

    Etymology The word xylophone comes from the Greek words xylon ξύλον meaning

  • phone

    Etymology The word phone is derived from the Greek word phōnē meaning sound or

  • stake

    Etymology The word stake has multiple origins Old English staca meaning a pole o

  • commit

    Etymology The word commit comes from the Latin word committere which means to put t

  • notion

    Etymology of Notion The word notion originates from the Old French word notion meani

  • sincere

    Etymology The word sincere originates from the Latin word sincerus which means pur

  • observe

    Etymology refers to the study of the origin and development of words It can be used to tr

  • girl

    Etymology The word girl is derived from the Middle English word girl which in turn

  • machine

    Etymology of Machine The word machine originates from the Greek term mekhane which