What’s a heteronym?

• A heteronym is a word that is spelled the same but pronounced differently, depending on its meaning.

Examples:

• Lead (to guide) vs. lead (the metal)
• Tear (to rip) vs. tear (from the eye)
• Bass (low sound) vs. bass (a fish)

📜 History: Heteronyms arose naturally as English adopted words from Latin, Greek, French, and Germanic roots, each with different phonetic rules.

🤔 Trivia: Heteronyms are great for wordplay and poetry, but they can confuse ESL learners easily!