<B>The British Council?s language clinic with ?Dr Danny? </B>

Hello and welcome to the English Language Clinic. One of the questions I received last week was ?What is a hominid?? The answer I gave was that a ?hominid? is a member of the biological family known as The Great Apes (Hominidae); we are hominids, as are gorillas. In response to this answer, I received a confused reply, informing me that the questioner was under the impression that the word described something to do with the sound of words. Now that I have this information I feel that I am ready to answer the intended question.

What is a ?homonym?? The word homonym is derived from the Greek ?homo?, meaning ?same? and the suffix ?-onym?, meaning ?name?. A homonym is a word that shares the same spelling, pronunciation or both as another word or group of words. Homonyms do not share the same meaning. For example ?bank? is a homonym, as it can mean both ?a place where money is deposited and withdrawn? and ?the ground at the edge of a river?. Examples of homonyms which share the same pronunciation but have different spelling include ?prints? (the plural of print) and ?prince? (who may one day be a king). Although these can be easily recognised as different when written down, it is not always easy when they are spoken. For example, try reading these sentences to a friend. ?The doctor says he?ll heal my heel?. ?If you cross the aisle I?ll show you the isle.? Homonyms have led to many arguments between the drivers of cars and the passengers who are giving them directions. Imagine the following conversation? ?Do I turn left now?? ?Right!? ?You mean I turn right?? ?No, you turn left!? ?So you want mean to turn left?? ?Right!?

I hope that I have now answered the intended question.

Words which sound alike can be very confusing!

Please send your comments, queries and questions to ?Dr Danny? at the English Language Clinic by emailing the following address [email protected]

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