heteronym

Heteronym refers to a word that is spelled the same as another word but pronounced differently and with a different meaning. In English, heteronyms are a type of spelling-homograph, where the same written form has more than one pronunciation and sense. The pronunciation differences often align with shifts in meaning or grammatical use, and listeners or readers use context to determine which sense is intended. Heteronyms can arise from historical changes in pronunciation while spelling remained fixed.

Common examples illustrate how pronunciation changes accompany different meanings. read (present tense) is pronounced /riːd/ while read (past tense) is pronounced /rɛd/; lead (to guide) is /liːd/ whereas lead (the metal) is /lɛd/; wind (to coil or twist) is /waɪnd/ while wind (air in motion) is /wɪnd/; tear (to rip) is /tɛər/ while tear (from the eye) is /tiər/; bow (to bend) is /baʊ/ whereas bow (a weapon or the front of a ship) is /boʊ/; bass (a fish) is /bæs/ whereas bass (low-frequency sound) is /beɪs/.

Across languages, heteronyms reflect the interaction of spelling conventions with pronunciation histories. Dictionaries typically indicate the different pronunciations and meanings to aid readers and learners. In practice, disambiguation relies on context, surrounding words, and, in speech, listening for the intended pronunciation.