Homonyms vs. Homophones
The terms homonym and homophone both have to do with pairs of words that have similarities. You should recognize this because they both start with the prefix "homo," which means "same." However, they refer to slightly different pairs of words. Let's take a closer look.
Homonyms are word pairs that have the same "name" (nym refers to sound). They are spelled the same and sound the same; however, they have different meanings, which you would determine from the context of the sentence.
1. Rock vs. Rock vs Rock
a. The little girl was looking for a new rock for her rock collection.
b. Her grandmother chose to rock in a chair on the porch while she played.
c. Her brother was inside listening to rock music.
2. Roll vs. Roll
a. We watched the whale roll over slowly in the water.
b. Could you please pass me a roll and the butter to go with it?
Homophones are word pairs that have the same "sound" (phone means sound). They mean different things and are spelled differently but they have the same sound.
1. Read vs Red
a. Last month, the little boy read 12 books and won an award at school.
b. I want to color the door on my house red.
2. Write vs Right vs Rite
a. Can I have some paper to write a letter to my grandmother?
b. At the next light, we have to turn right.
c. The priest performed the baptism rite for the baby.
If you understand the meanings of the prefixes and root words for homophone and homonym, these are easy to remember. Homo means "same"; nym means "name"; phone means "sound." The clues to remember the difference are embedded in the words!
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