Sound alikes

Homonyms, words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings, have always amazed me. We had a contest in my fifth-grade classroom to write down as many homonyms as we could think of, and I won by a long shot. Since then, I've kept my eye out for more, and for other homonym lovers.

I just came across this article by Alan Cooper about his fascination with homonyms. He even has an ongoing list of them! Needless to say, it's bookmarked on my browser. Take a look at Alan's article, then click on the link at the bottom to check out his list. See any missing? E-mail him to add them!

Alan Cooper's Homonyms

When I was in the second grade, my teacher introduced me to "homonyms," those words, like "caret" and "carrot" that are pronounced the same, but are spelled differently, and that have different meanings. The concept intrigued me, and for months, I maintained a dog-eared pad of yellow paper with an ever-growing list of homonyms. I eventually lost that yellow pad, but never my interest in these odd, quirky English words.

I consider homonyms to be the prime numbers of the English language. Like primes, they cannot be predicted by any rules of grammar or diction. In the way that you can't search the number line for primes, you cannot systematically search the dictionary for homonyms. You just have to find them, like Easter Eggs in the dictionary.

The best part about homonyms, though, is that they are the raw material for puns, a truly sublime form of humor. With a robust knowledge of and appreciation for homonyms, you will never be embarrassed when a pun-battle breaks out in public.

A few years ago, when my oldest son, Scott, was in the second grade, he came home with the assignment of compiling a list of homonyms! I was in heaven, reliving a joyous, quasi-literary moment from my childhood. Scott and I, along with family and friends, worked for days putting together as complete a list as we could of homonyms. Scott has moved on, but I still maintain the list with a fervor many others find silly. But I take a small but intense pleasure at finding these little hidden gems.

Because their nature is so odd, it is quite possible to miss the most obvious ones. Just last week I added "fair" and "fare" to the list. If you can find any that are missing, please email them to me at alan@cooper.com and I will add them to the list (and mention your name here).

The List