Homonyms and Homophones

What are Homonyms and Homophones?

• In English, words which share the same spelling and pronunciation but have different meanings are known as homonyms.
• Similarly, words which share the same pronunciation but have different spellings and meanings are known as homophones.
• Both the terms are derived from the Greek root words homo, nym and phone.

Homo (same) + Nym (name)	=	Homonym (same name)
Homo (same) + Phone (sound)	=	Homophone (same sound)

Examples of Homonyms

Bow (n)	Bow (v)
Cricket (n)	Cricket (n)
Rose (n)	Rose (v; past tense)

Examples of Homonyms in Sentences

1. Mala did not bat an eyelid.

1. The bat flew into the room.

2. The cat will lie on the rug.

2. I dislike people who lie.

3. The landlord was a mean person.

3. He did not mean to hurt his friend.

4. Stalks of wheat swayed in the fields.

4. The hapless woman realised she was being stalked by a stranger.

5. I left my purse in Mrs Mishra’s house.

5. The spectators seated towards the left were very boisterous.

Examples of Homophones

Aloud	Allowed
Wine	Vine
Heel	Heal

Which	Witch
Sale	Sail
Peace	Peas
Banned	Band
Ate	Eight

Examples of Homophones in Sentences

1. Accept this flower as a token of my gratitude.
2. Except for a few mistakes, Rahul’s work is flawless.

2. The old lady breaks the twig into half.
3. The car swivelled around when its brakes failed.

3. The cat tiptoed on its paws.
4. The lawyer spoke after a long pause.

4. There are no sellers available at this moment.
5. Many of these old colonial style houses are equipped with cellars.

5. The lone sheep strayed away from its herd.
6. I heard what you said.

6. The master strategist used his wiles against the evil assassin.

6. It took us a while to realise that we were heading in the wrong direction.

Commonly Confused Homophones

1. The Sharmas are proud of there daughter.
1. The Sharmas are proud of their daughter.
2. The subject peaked my interest.
2. The subject piqued my interest.
3. The employer wanted to know weather he could join immediately.
3. The employer wanted to know whether he could join immediately
4. The members gathered for the bored meeting.
4. The members gathered for the board meeting.

Idioms, Phrases and Proverbs

What are Idioms and Phrases?

In English, idioms, phrases and proverbs are used to enhance written and spoken communication.

• An idiom is a phrase whose figurative meaning is different from its literal meaning.
• A phrase can be a combination of a verb and an adverb, a verb and a preposition, and a verb with an adverb and a preposition.

• Both idioms and phrases can have literal and figurative meanings.
• The only way to learn idioms and phrases is by reading about them and using them as much as you can.

Let us look at some phrases and idioms.

Phrases – Usage

Idioms – Usage

(The true test of the value or the quality of something)

College was very interesting, but the acid test will come when I get a job.

It is mandatory. It is written in black and white in the contract.

(With a written proof)

Natasha pretended to be sad, but her mother knew her tears were crocodile tears.

(Pretend to be sad about something)

The employees were kept in the dark about the company’s falling profits.

(Not be informed about something that others know)

Of course, I am interested in the competition. I am all ears!

(Listening very attentively)

Jayant’s salary is so low that it is difficult for him to make both ends meet.

(Live within one’s income)

You have the face to come here after doing this to me?

(Be bold)

Driving alone on this road is playing with fire.

(Take risk)

Reactions to the campaign are arriving in fits and starts.

(Not continuous)

She is rude to her parents, but they just grin and bear it.

(Accept something bad without complaining)

Idioms – Usage

I am writing about the issue, but I know it is flogging a dead horse.

(Wasting time in something that will not succeed)

She came in a huff and ordered something to eat.

(In an angry manner)

Saraswati cannot take a joke although she is famous for being cheerful in her group.

(Accept being made fun of in good humour)

Now that the project has failed, be ready to face the music.

(Accept unpleasant results of an action)

Aunt Kelly’s dresses are so out of date.

(Old-fashioned)

I’d like to have a shot at photography.

(Try something for the first time)

We have been given only a day to rework on this. That’s a tall order.

(Be very difficult to do)

You mustn’t tease him and rub him the wrong way.

(To irritate someone)

Those chairs we bought from Kenya are now white elephants.

(Something very expensive but a nuisance to keep)

Kevin won’t believe that I am unwell until he sees me. He is such a doubting Thomas.

(Someone who is always suspicious)

What are Proverbs?

A proverb is a simple statement based on facts and experiences which expresses truth and gives advice on life. You may have heard several proverbs in your moral science class. Let us read some proverbs and understand their meanings.

Fortune favours the brave.

Luck is more likely to be with those who take risks.

Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.

You shouldn’t plan how to utilise good results of something before those results have occurred.

Honesty is the best policy.

Even if it may be useful to tell a lie, you should always tell the truth.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Constant and regular work leads to better results.

Empty vessels make the most noise.

People who have little knowledge usually talk the most and make the greatest fuss.

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Things which are offered free always have a hidden cost.

God helps those who help themselves.

Work hard to achieve your goals. Don’t just wait for good things to happen to you.

Practice makes perfect.

You have to practice a skill a lot to become good at it.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Different people have different ideas about what’s beautiful.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

When you are really in need, you think of creative solutions to your problems.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

If one member of a team doesn’t perform well, the whole team will fail.

Why Use Idioms, Phrases and Proverbs?

English Affixes

Prefix and Suffix

Prefixes

Functions of Prefixes

• Prefixes can indicate the presence or absence of an idea.

Amoral (without morals)	Non-existent (not existing)
Unimportant (trifling)	Incorporated (taken in)

• Prefixes can indicate position.

Dethroned (off the throne)	Submarine (under water)
Superimpose (kept on top)	Paramilitary (alongside military)

• Prefixes can also indicate characteristics or qualities.

Antibacterial (resistant to bacteria)	Biannual (twice every year)
Congenital (with birth)	Transparent (can see across)

List of Common English Prefixes

Prefix	Meaning	Words	Prefix	Meaning	Words
a-, an-	Not, without	Amoral AmorphousAnarchy	anti-, ant-	Against	Antibacterial AntipathyAntagonist
ante-	Before	AntechamberAnte mortem Ante bellum	auto-	Self	AutomaticAutocrat Autonomy
bi-	Two	BiannualBicycle Binoculars	bio-	Life	BiologyBiotic Biogenetics
co-, com-, con-	Together, Joint	Cooperate Company Conjoined	contra-	Against	Contradict Contravene ContraveneContrast
demi-	Half	Demigod	de-	Down	DecreaseDecline Degrade
dis-	Off	DisposeDisappear Disturb	e-, ex-	Out	EjectExpress Extract
en-	To do, to put	Endanger Enchanted Enable	extra-	Beyond	Extra- terrestrial Extracurricular

Prefix	Meaning	Words	Prefix	Meaning	Words
tri-	Three	TricycleTriangle Trinity	tetra-	Four	Tetra packTetrapod Tetrad
trans-	Across	TransparentTranslucent Transport	uni-	One	UnityUnicycle Universe
un-	Not	UnfinishedUnspoken Uninterrupted	zoo-	Animal	ZoophilicZoology Zoo

Suffixes

• A suffix is a group of words which is fixed at the end of the root or base word.
• The term suffix is derived from the Greek root words ‘sub’ which means ‘under’ and ‘fix’ which literally means ‘to fix’.

Generous	Happiness
Decency	Grateful

Functions of Suffixes

• Suffixes can change the part of speech of a particular word.

Adequate (adjective)	Adequacy (noun)	Adequately (adverb)
Tolerable (adjective)	Toleration (noun)	Tolerate (verb)
Supreme (adjective)	Supremacy (noun)	Supremely (adverb)
Demonstrable (adjective)	Demonstration (noun)	Demonstrate (verb)

• Suffixes can indicate the number of the noun whether it is singular or plural.

Fox (singular)	Foxes (plural)
Ox (singular)	Oxen (plural)

• Suffixes can indicate the tense of verbs.

Toast (present)	Toasted (past)
Freeze (present)	Freezing (continuous)

List of Common English Suffixes

Suffix	Meaning	Words	Suffix	Meaning	Words
-able (adj)	Having the quality	UnspeakableAdmirable Amicable	-acy (n)	Quality	DelicacyPrivacy Accuracy
-est (adj)	Highest degree	BiggestGreatest Fastest	-ance, -ence (n)	State or quality	MaintenanceAbsence Difference
-dom (n)	Place or state	FreedomKingdom Boredom	-ful (adj)	Full of	GracefulTactful Beautiful
-er, -or, -eer,-ier (n)	Doer, one who	Trainer Actor CharioteerChocolatier	-ism (n)	Belief system	Capitalism Hinduism Marxism
-ist (n)	One who	PianistTerrorist Chemist	-ity, -ty (n)	Quality of	DuplicityAbility Enmity
-ish (adj)	Like	TicklishBoyish Reddish	-less (adj)	Without	FearlessBlameless Toothless
-ly (adv)	In the manner of	Beautifully SadlySlowly	-hood (n)	State	Childhood NeighbourhoodSainthood
-ate (v)	To do/make	Create ElevatePunctuate	-en (v)	To make/become	Enliven FrozenSunken
-kin (n)	A person	Bumpkin	-ed (v)	To do/make	ToiledCooked Walked
-ee (n)	A person who	EmployeeDivorcee Examinee	-fy, -ify (v)	To do/make	VerifyClarify Horrify

-ward

In thedirection of

EastwardsTowards Downwards

-ean, -ian (adj)

To have thequality

VegetarianHerculean Cyclopean

Root Words and Base Words

• Root words and base words are the parts which contain the primary meaning of the word.
• Prefixes and suffixes are added to the root and base words to create new words and ideas.

Root Word

• A root word cannot stand on its own as an independent word.
• It needs the addition of the prefix or the suffix for the completion of its meaning.
• For example, let us take the words Geologist and Carnivorous.

Geo –	-log-	-ist	Carni-	-vor –	-ous-
(root)	(root)	(suffix)	(root)	(root)	(suffix)

• In the above cases, the roots geo-, –log-, – carni- and –vor- cannot stand alone as individual words.
• They are therefore known as root words.

Base Word

• A base word, unlike a root word, can stand on its own like an independent word.
• It does not need the addition of the prefix or the suffix to function as a stand-alone word.
• For example, let us take the words Undo, Precook, Counterattack and Superscript.

Pre	cook	Counter	attack	Super	script
(prefix)	(base word)	(prefix)	(base word)	(prefix)	(base word)

• In the above cases, do, cook, attack and script can all function as meaningful words.
• They are therefore known as base words.

List of Common Root Words and Base Words

Root	Meaning	Words	Root	Meaning	Words
-acr-,- ac-	Sharp, bitter	AcridAcronym Acute	-ami-,-amo-	Love	AmiableAmicable Amorous
-ambi-,-amphi-	Both	Ambivalent Amphibious	-aster-	Star	Asteroid DisasterAstrology
-bene –	Good	BenevolentBenefit Benign	-chrono-	Time	ChronologyChronicle Synchronise
-circ-	Around	CircumnavigateCircumstances Circumference	-dict-	Speak	DictateDictator Diction
-duc-	Lead	DuctAbduct Induct	-gen-	Create/birth	HydrogenGenerate Gene
-geo-	Earth	GeographyGeologist	-graph-	Write	CalligraphyGraphology
-jur-, -jus-, – jud-	law	JuryJustice Judge	-log-, -logy- – ist	Study	BiologyZoology Psychologist
-luc-	Light	Translucent Lucid	-man-	Hand	Manacles ManuscriptManual
-mis-	Hatred, wrong	MisanthropeMisinform Mistake	-mit-, -mis-	Allow	Permit AdmitTransmission
-path-	Feel	SympathyEmpathy Antipathy	-phil-	Love	PhilosopherPhilology Bibliophile
-photo-	Light	PhotosynthesisPhotograph Photon	-scribe-	Write	ScribeScribble Inscribe

-sent-, -sense-	Feel	SentimentalSensational Sensible	-tele-	Longdistance	TelephoneTelescope Television
-terr-	Land, ground	TerritoryTerrestrial Terrace	-vac-	Empty	VacationVacant Evacuate
-vid-, -vis-	See	VideoVisual Visible	-vol-	Fly	volley

How to Use the Affixation System

• Thorough knowledge of the English affixation system helps us in guessing the meaning of the word purely by the means of its prefix-root-suffix structure.
• Because of the limitations of our memory, it is not easy to remember a large number of words at a time.
• We may find it difficult to associate the meaning of the word with its structure.

Word	Meaning
Subterranean	Underground

• With the knowledge of the affixation system, we can guess the meaning of the given word.

Prefix	Root	Suffix
Sub-	-terran-	-ean
(under)	(ground)	(adj)

The meaning of the above word is ‘Underground’, and it is used as an adjective.

Thus, to have a rich vocabulary, students should learn the prefix-root-suffix method. It is an interesting way to expand your vocabulary with little effort. Students who are well-versed with the affixation system find it easier to tackle difficult words and are more confident about their word usage. It will definitely give you an edge over the others when it comes to words.

Synonyms and Antonyms

What are Synonyms?

Synonyms are words or phrases which are used as substitutes for another. Sometimes, synonyms need not mean exactly the same as the other word. They can also be a close substitute for the other word.

Synonyms can belong to any word category:

Category	Word	Synonym	Synonym
Noun	Pauper	Destitute	Beggar
Adjective	Bright	Dazzling	Luminous
Verb	Laugh	Chuckle	Snigger
Adverb	Beautifully	Exquisitely	Charmingly

Why do Synonyms Exist?

English is a language which has many influences since it has evolved in a natural manner. Today, it is a combination of languages such as Latin, Greek, Celtic, French, Scandinavian and even Hindi. Some words in English are adopted from these languages in addition to the ones which already exist. For example, mansion is a word which is adopted from French. At the same time, its synonym bungalow is taken from Hindi.

What are the Uses of Synonyms?

Why are synonyms used when one word can convey the idea perfectly? Let us find out.

Situation

Let us consider the words check and investigate. Though both the words are synonyms of each other, we cannot substitute one for the other in certain situations.

Examples:

A

I will check if there is something to eat in the kitchen.

B

I will investigate if there is something to eat in the kitchen.

C

Inspector Sahasrabuddhe will check the robbery attempt.

D

Inspector Sahasrabuddhe will investigate the robbery attempt

In the above examples, the usage of the word check in sentence A seems appropriate. Its synonym investigate sounds awkward and pompous in sentence B. Similarly, in sentence C the word check lacks the force of the word investigate which is used in sentence D. In conclusion, we can say that it is the situation that dictates which word or its synonym has to be used.

Tone

Sometimes a word does not do justice to the emotion behind it. The tone or the emotion behind a person’s voice can also dictate which word has to be used.

Examples: Dislike, hate, despise

Although the three highlighted words are synonyms, they have different tonalities. Hence, one cannot use the word dislike to describe a very strong and personal hatred.

Sound

We use a certain word instead of its synonym because it sounds more pleasing. Examples:

In the above examples, group and idiots are synonyms of confederacy and dunces, respectively. Sentence A sounds more appealing than sentence B because of the choice of words. Hence, it is important that we use synonyms sometimes to make sentences sound more pleasing.

Prefix	Meaning	Words	Prefix	Meaning	Words
hemi-	Half	HemisphereHemicycle	hepta-	Seven	HeptagonHeptarchy
hyper-	Over	Hyperbole Hyperactive Hyperlink	in-, ill-, ir-, im-	Not	Incapable Illogical IrrelevantImpossible
in-, im-	Inside/into	InternalIndoctrinate Impregnate	inter-	Between	InterschoolInternational Interconnected
mono-	Single/one	MonogramMonarch Monopoly	mega-	Huge	MegawattsMegabyte Megacity
micro-	Small	Microscope Microbiology Microorganism	non-	Not, without	Nonstop Nonsense Non-vegetarian
omni-	All	Omnipotent OmniscientOmnipresent	ob-	Bad, wrong	Obstruct ObnoxiousObdurate
para-	Along	ParamilitaryParallel Parapet	pre-	Before	PreventPrepare Predict
post-	After	PostcolonialPost mortem Post-partum	poly-	Many	PolygonPolyglot Polymath
re-	Again	ReplayRegain Return	retro-	Back	Retrogress Retrograde
sub-	Under	SubwaySubtract submarine	super-	Over, above	SupersedeSuperman Superfluous
syn-, sym-	Together	SynthesisSynchronise Sympathy	semi-	Half	SemicircleSemisolid Semisweet

We can conclude by saying that synonyms make the language rich in meaning by adding variety to it. It also helps the speakers express themselves better and more clearly. The speakers can assess the situation and use appropriate words to deliver the exact message they wish to express.

What are Antonyms?

In contrast with synonyms, antonyms are words or phrases which are opposite in meaning to another. This may sound strange, but often, to understand a word better, we have to look at its antonym. We learn the meaning of the word by understanding how it contrasts with its antonym.

Sometimes, to understand a word better, it is important that we look up its antonym along with its synonym. Like synonyms, there can be more than one antonym for a given word.

Category	Word	Antonym	Antonym
Noun	Odour	Fragrance	Aroma
Adjective	Jubilant	Morose	Depressed
Verb	Create	Destroy	Annihilate
Adverb	Excitedly	Nervously	Anxiously

What are the Different Types of Antonyms?

There are three basic types of antonyms:

• Gradable antonyms
• Complementary antonyms
• Relational antonyms

Gradable Antonyms

Gradable antonyms are words which are the extreme opposites of each other. Imagine a spectrum or a scale. Gradable antonyms will be at equal distances from the centre on the scale. However, these words may have a spectrum of words between them. All these words may exist together on the same scale.

In the above example, hot is the polar opposite of the word cold. But together, they exist on the same spectrum as warm and cool. Let us look at more examples of gradable antonyms.

Good	Bad	Depressed	Joyful	Intelligent	Foolish
Evil	Saintly	Young	Old	Excited	Bored

Complementary Antonyms

Unlike gradable antonyms which have a spectrum of words between them, complementary antonyms are words which express two extreme ideas without the possibility of ‘middle’ words. They do not lie on a continuous scale and are the exact opposites of each other.

Let us look at a few examples of complementary antonyms.

Inhale	Exhale	Dead	Alive	Exit	Enter	Right	Wrong
Vacant	Occupied	Similar	Different	Sink	Float	Married	Single

Relational Antonyms

Relational antonyms are words which are opposite to each other by the virtue of their relationship alone. One finds meaning through the existence of the other. For example, the word up exists in relation to the word down.

Let us look at a few examples of relational antonyms.

Teacher	Student	Husband	Wife	Slave	Master	Parent	Child
Buy	Sell	Buy	Sell	Predator	Prey	North	South

Synonyms and Antonyms

We shall now look at common synonyms and antonyms used in everyday life.

The Same Word Used as Different Parts of Speech

Content and Function Words

In English, a word can be either a content word or a function word.

  

Parts of Speech

Form and content words are further classified into different classes called parts of speech. There are eight parts of speech in English:

1. Noun
2. Adjective
3. Pronoun
4. Verb
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

The same word can belong to different parts of speech according to how it is used in sentences. Let us see how.

Identifying the Function of a Word

A word used as a noun in a sentence will answer the question ‘what?’ and will usually be the subject of the sentence.

If the word is used as an adjective, it will answer the question ‘what kind of/how much?’ and will describe the noun/s in the sentence.

When used as an adverb, a word will answer the question ‘how?’ and will tell you more about the verb in a sentence.

Let us look at a few examples:

A word used as a verb will show an action performed by the noun.

A word which is used as a preposition will show location, time and movement. A word used as a conjunction will connect phrases and sentences.

Let us look at a few examples:

Except

Verb Preposition Conjunction

If we except Sumed, all are to be blamed. All the soldiers returned except Hemant.

I didn’t say anything except that you are unwell.

Adverb or Preposition?

Some words can be used as both prepositions and adverbs.

Noun or Verb?

Some words can be used both as nouns and verbs.

The following are some commonly used words which can be used as different parts of speech.