Chris' Christian Blog

Homonyms

"Homonyms" 

In Writing Classroom today we are discussing words that sound the same but have different meanings. The English language is chalk full of them and they can often cause confusion for writers and readers alike. The homonyms selected for today are here and hear as well as the group of words sounding the same as "there".

The lesson asked that bloggers give examples of each word used properly and to explain why this is so.

The word "{{b}c:lred}here" is a noun. It is a noun because it names a place. Therefore the proper use of the word here in a sentence is to make a statement about location.

"I am here."

This could mean that the subject is in a specific location. It could also imply arrival at a location. In either case "here" is the word used to state a location.

The word "hear"on the other hand is a verb because it implies an action. The action in this case is to imply understanding and reception of spoken words or other sounds.

"Do you hear that buzzing noise?"

"I hear you loud and clear.

The words "there", "their", and "they're" are homonyms as well. They are spelled differently and have different meanings but are pronounced the same way.

The word "there" is a noun because it implies a location. "I know I'm here because I'm not all there!

Their is a possessive pronoun because it implies ownership or possession of something. "It is their favorite book."

One must be careful in using the word "their" because the meaning of the statement can be vague. "Their" is not always a good identifier unless it is already understood or implied that the subject is a specific entity.

The word "they're" is a word that is very similar to "there" and "their" except that the pronunciation is slightly different. When spoken though the words sound so similar that they are classified as homonyms. "They're is a contraction meaning that it is the combination of the words "they are" in condensed form. Since the word "are" is a verb and modifies they, they're is an adverb meaning it describes an action or state of being. "They're" my best friends.

It is very important that the proper word be plugged into the sentence or the sentence will not make sense. The reader may understand the implied meaning but the sentence would still not be grammatically correct.