Homonyms and Homophones for class 5 English

What are Homonyms and Homophones?

The words homophones and homonyms originate from Greek. The prefix Homo- means same and they both describe a relationship between two or more words. Although, their meaning varies as ‘nym’ means ‘name’ and ‘phone’ means ‘sound’.

A homophone is a word pair that has the same sound.

A homonym is a word pair that has the same sound and same spelling. 

 

a. Homophones :

 

 

b.Waste; Waist :

• Don’t waste the paper. (Using something in a careless way)
• Tie the rope around your waist. (The narrowest part around the middle of your body)

 

c. Homonyms :

 

d. Can; Can :

• You can drink soda from the can! (‘Can’ is the metal container used to store soft drinks)
• You can play after the you have studied. (‘Can’ is an auxiliary)

 

List Of Homophones

 

 

What is the Difference between Homophone and Homonyms?

A homonym is a word that is the same as another in sound and /or spelling but different in meaning. One of the most common examples in homonyms is the word ‘bat’. (Bat means a playing equipment and it’s also the name of an animal.) Whereas a homophone has same sound but a different spelling. For instance, plane (flying vehicle) and plain ( not fancy).

Homophones : 

a. 

 

 

b.

 

Homonyms:

Examples:

1. I never wear a watch when I watch TV.
2. The actors in the play will play chess.
3. Raise your right hand if you have the right answer.

 

Misconception

Homophones and homonyms can easily be confusing as they have similarities. You should learn about the similar sounding words so you can use the correct word in any given situation.

In the example below, Rahul made the misunderstood granny’s spectacles for glasses of water.

 

Have a look at the mindmap below to understand Homophones and Homonyms better.