A few
week s ago I wrote about homophones,
those words that are pronounced alike but are spelled differently and have
different meanings.
Something else writers, editors, and proofreaders need to
look out for are heteronyms. Those are words that are spelled the same but have
different meanings depending on pronunciation.
Something else writers, editors, and proofreaders need to
look out for are heteronyms. Those are words that are spelled the same but have
different meanings depending on pronunciation.
Here are
a few examples:
I saw the
Moody Blues live in concert.
I live in Frankfort, Ky.
I have the lead part in an upcoming play.
I broke the lead in my pencil.
(Writers seem to confuse lead and led.)
I feel very close to my family.
I wish someone would close the door.
I have friends who live near the desert in Arizona.
It’s not a good idea to desert friends over money.
As with misuses in word choices, I believe most of the time it’s simply a subconscious act. We get in a hurry and write the word that first comes to mind. But as writers, we know that’s not a good excuse.
And it doesn’t help that spell check won't catch the mistake. That’s another reason to have a good proofreader.
For more examples, check out the Heteronym Homepage.
Until the next time…
I live in Frankfort, Ky.
I have the lead part in an upcoming play.
I broke the lead in my pencil.
(Writers seem to confuse lead and led.)
I feel very close to my family.
I wish someone would close the door.
I have friends who live near the desert in Arizona.
It’s not a good idea to desert friends over money.
As with misuses in word choices, I believe most of the time it’s simply a subconscious act. We get in a hurry and write the word that first comes to mind. But as writers, we know that’s not a good excuse.
And it doesn’t help that spell check won't catch the mistake. That’s another reason to have a good proofreader.
For more examples, check out the Heteronym Homepage.
Until the next time…
I think ur right! ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Socorro.
DeleteMore and more, I'm seeing the ones that sound the same but are spelled differently in recently published books. Makes me want to pull out the red pen and get to work.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Devon. It takes a proofreader's eye -- more than a casual reading eye -- to find them.
DeleteVery important post!Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI wrote this one about male article plus female noun in portuguese language.Unfortunately, you have to know portuguese to understand it.Anyway, here it is: http://he2mms.blogspot.com.br/2012/07/a-lingua-portuguesa-misturando-os-sexos.html
Thank you for your comment. I'll try to read your post once I get my Portuguese translator in Google working.
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