3 syllables: Ho, mo, nym. Stress on Ho.
HAW-muh-nim
/ˈhɔmənɪm/
Homonym is pronounced HAW-muh-nim (/ˈhɔmənɪm/). It has three syllables (Ho-mo-nym), with the stress on "Ho". A homonym is a word that shares the same spelling and pronunciation as another word but has a different meaning. For example,.
nounA homonym is a word that shares the same spelling and pronunciation as another word but has a different meaning. For example,
"The word "bank" is a homonym because it can mean a financial institution or the side of a river."
"In teaching, we differentiate homonyms from homographs by whether pronunciation is the same; these are homonyms when pronunciation matches."
"Her sentence was corrected because the two homonyms caused ambiguity in meaning within the paragraph."
Pronounce it as /ˈhɒm.ə.nɪm/ in most dialects of American and British English. The primary stress falls on the first syllable: HOM-uh-nim. The middle vowel is a schwa in many accents (the second syllable), and the final -nym ends with a short 'nim' sound. Lip and tongue positioning: start with a rounded or unrounded vowel for the first syllable depending on your accent, then relax into a neutral vowel for the second syllable, and finish with a light 'nim' closure.
Common mistakes include misplacing the stress (say ho-MY-nim instead of HOM-uh-nim), articulating the middle vowel as a full 'o' or 'oh' rather than a quick schwa, and running the final 'nym' as 'nime' or 'nim' with an extra vowel. Correct by emphasizing the first syllable, using a short, relaxed middle vowel (ə), and clipping the final consonant cluster to /nɪm/. Practicing with minimal pairs helps reinforce the natural rhythm: HOM-ə-nim.
In US English, you’ll hear /ˈhɑː.mə.nɪm/ or /ˈhɒ.mə.nɪm/ with slightly broader first vowel and a clear final /nɪm/. UK speakers typically have a shorter first vowel and crisper final consonants, yielding /ˈhɒ.mə.nɪm/. Australian English tends to maintain a similar rhythm to UK but with a slightly flatter intonation and a more rounded /ɒ/ in the first syllable; the middle vowel remains a schwa. Across all, the primary stress remains on the first syllable.
The challenge lies in the unstressed middle syllable: the schwa is subtle and easy to mispronounce as a full vowel, throwing off rhythm. Also, the -nym ending can be mistaken for /ɪm/ or /ɪn/ or linked to other word endings, changing the final sound. Practice by isolating HOM-uh-nim, ensuring a light, quick middle syllable and a crisp final /nɪm/. Focus on landing the stress precisely on the first syllable.
Yes. The -nym ending historically behaves as /nɪm/ in many dialects, but some speakers may insert a slight nasal or Y-glide before the final /m/, producing /nɪm/ with a soft transition. The key unique feature is maintaining a strong initial consonant cluster /h/ + /ɒ/ (US /ɑ/ or UK /ɒ/) and then a quick, subtle schwa before the /nɪm/. This keeps the word compact and prevents a drawn-out middle vowel.
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Homonym comes from the Greek roots homo- meaning 'same' and -nym meaning 'name' or 'word.' The term is used in linguistics to describe words that sound alike or have the same spelling but different meanings. The word entered English in the 17th century and was influenced by Latin and Greek scholarly traditions that aimed to categorize words by form and meaning. Early discussions distinguished homonyms from synonyms, antonyms, and polysemes as part of broader etymological studies of language structure. Over time, the term broadened to include both words that are spelled the same and those that are pronounced the same, depending on the linguistic framework in use. The precise usage varies among dictionaries, with some treating “homonym” as a general umbrella for words with identical form but different meanings, and others reserving it for those pairs that share pronunciation. First known use appears in scholarly works of the 17th to 18th centuries, with subsequent adoption in linguistic textbooks as vocabulary for semantic ambiguity and lexical semantics.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Homonym" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Homonym" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Homonym"
-men sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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