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Posted By: kckc homonyms - 09/19/05 01:16 PM
I was surprised at the definition offered on Sep. 19 for homonym. A quick perusal of internet dictionaries leads me to the definition I've always used: words that sound alike regardless of spelling.
If homonym means words of the same sound and spelling, what word is used to indicate words of the same sound and different spelling?

Posted By: Jackie Re: homonyms - 09/19/05 01:41 PM
Welcome, kc. Faldage posted his expert knowledge on this here:
http://wordsmith.org/board/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=words&Number=53629
P'raps he can expand on it a bit, if he will?

Posted By: Faldage Re: homonyms - 09/20/05 12:05 AM
P'raps he can expand on it a bit

Oh, I dunno. I couln't a said it better myself. Oh, wait, I did say it myself.

Posted By: Libros Re: homonyms - 09/20/05 08:11 PM
I believe your definition is of the word is homophone -- two or more words that sound alike but differ in spelling and in meaning, e.g., some and sum. Homonym is used to describe one of two or more words with the same sound that may have the same spelling, but differ in meaning. Homophones are therefore a subset of homonyms.

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