Heteronyms

Basic Heteronyms (1–20)

1. Lead

• LEED = to guide: She will lead the team.
• LED = metal: The old pipes contain lead.

2. Wind

• WIND = moving air: The wind is strong today.
• WYND = to twist/turn: Wind the clock.

3. Tear

• TEER = drop from the eye: A tear rolled down her cheek.
• TAIR = to rip: Don’t tear the paper.

4. Bow

• BOH = bend forward: He gave a polite bow.
• BOW = weapon/ribbon: She tied a bow in her hair.

5. Row

• ROH = line: They sat in a row.
• ROW = argument: They had a row about money.

6. Close

• KLOHZ = shut: Close the door.
• KLOHSS = near: The shop is close to my house.

7. Live

• LIV = to be alive: I live in Canada.
• LYV = happening now: The concert is live.

8. Read

• REED = present tense: I read every day.
• RED = past tense: I read that book yesterday.

9. Minute

• MIN-it = 60 seconds: Wait a minute.
• my-NOOT = tiny: A minute detail.

10. Desert

• DEZ-ert = dry place: The Sahara is a desert.
• di-ZURT = abandon: He deserted his post.

11. Present

• PREZ-ent = gift/now: A birthday present.
• pri-ZENT = give: Present your ID.

12. Object

• OB-ject = thing: A strange object.
• ub-JECT = oppose: I object to that idea.

13. Subject

• SUB-ject = topic/person: Math is my subject.
• sub-JECT = force: They subjected him to tests.

14. Refuse

• REF-yoos = garbage: Take out the refuse.
• ri-FYOOZ = decline: I refuse to go.

15. Conduct

• KON-dukt = behavior: His conduct was good.
• kun-DUKT = lead: She conducted the orchestra.

16. Contract

• KON-trakt = agreement: Sign the contract.
• kun-TRAKT = shrink: Muscles contract.

17. Content

• KON-tent = material: The content is useful.
• kun-TENT = happy: She is content.

18. Produce

• PROD-yoos = vegetables/fruits: Fresh produce.
• pruh-DYOOS = create: The factory produces cars.

19. Record

• REK-ord = document: Keep a record.
• ri-KORD = capture: Record the song.

20. Permit

• PUR-mit = license: A parking permit.
• per-MIT = allow: I permit you to go.

Intermediate Heteronyms (21–40)

21. Project

• PROJ-ect = plan: The project is done.
• pruh-JECT = estimate/throw: Project the image.

22. Rebel

• REB-el = person: He is a rebel.
• ri-BEL = resist: They rebel against rules.

23. Invalid

• IN-vuh-lid = sick person: Care for the invalid.
• in-VAL-id = not valid: Your ticket is invalid.

24. Bass

• BAYSS = low sound: He plays bass guitar.
• BASS = fish: We caught a bass.

25. Dove

• DUV = bird: A white dove.
• DOHV = jumped: She dove into the pool.

26. Sow

• SOH = plant: Sow the seeds.
• SOW = female pig: The sow has piglets.

27. Sewer

• SOO-er = drain: The sewer is blocked.
• SOH-er = person who sews: The sewer made a dress.

28. Does

• DUZ = performs: She does her work.
• DOHZ = female deer plural: Two does grazed.

29. Axes

• AK-siz = plural of axe: He sharpened the axes.
• AK-seez = plural of axis: The graph has two axes.

30. Bases

• BAY-siz = plural of base: The army bases.
• BAY-seez = plural of basis: The bases of the theory.

31. Entrance

• EN-truns = doorway: The entrance is open.
• in-TRANS = enchant: The music entranced us.

32. Intimate

• IN-ti-mut = close/private: They are intimate friends.
• IN-ti-mayt = hint: He intimated his plan.

33. Deliberate

• di-LIB-ur-ut = intentional: A deliberate act.
• di-LIB-ur-ayt = discuss: The jury deliberated.

34. Elaborate

• i-LAB-ur-ut = detailed: An elaborate design.
• i-LAB-ur-ayt = explain: Please elaborate.

35. Separate

• SEP-ur-ut = apart: Separate rooms.
• SEP-ur-ayt = divide: Separate the eggs.

36. Moderate

• MOD-ur-ut = average/mild: Moderate weather.
• MOD-ur-ayt = chair a discussion: She moderated the debate.

37. Estimate

• ES-ti-mut = guess: A rough estimate.
• ES-ti-mayt = calculate: Estimate the cost.

38. Appropriate

• uh-PROH-pree-ut = suitable: Appropriate clothes.
• uh-PROH-pree-ayt = take: He appropriated funds.

39. Alternate

• AWL-tur-nut = every other: Alternate days.
• AWL-tur-nayt = switch: They alternate turns.

40. Duplicate

• DOO-pli-kut = copy: A duplicate key.
• DOO-pli-kayt = make a copy: Duplicate the file.

Advanced Heteronyms (41–60)

41. Associate

• uh-SOH-see-ut = colleague: A business associate.
• uh-SOH-see-ayt = connect: I associate summer with heat.

42. Graduate

• GRAJ-oo-ut = holder of a degree: A college graduate.
• GRAJ-oo-ayt = finish school: She will graduate soon.

43. Delegate

• DEL-i-gut = representative: A delegate attended.
• DEL-i-gayt = assign: Delegate the task.

44. Advocate

• AD-vuh-kut = supporter: She is an advocate.
• AD-vuh-kayt = support: They advocate change.

45. Aggregate

• AG-ri-gut = total: The aggregate score.
• AG-ri-gayt = combine: The data was aggregated.

46. Compound

• KOM-pownd = mixture: A chemical compound.
• kum-POWND = make worse: The problem was compounded.

47. Conflict

• KON-flikt = disagreement: A conflict of interest.
• kun-FLIKT = clash: The times conflict.

48. Contest

• KON-test = competition: A singing contest.
• kun-TEST = challenge: They contest the decision.

49. Convert

• KON-vurt = person changed: A convert to Buddhism.
• kun-VURT = change: Convert the file.

50. Decrease

• DEE-krees = reduction: A decrease in sales.
• di-KREES = reduce: Prices decrease.

51. Increase

• IN-krees = rise: An increase in pay.
• in-KREES = grow: Increase the volume.

52. Insult

• IN-sult = offense: That was an insult.
• in-SULT = offend: Don’t insult him.

53. Suspect

• SUS-pekt = person: The suspect fled.
• suh-SPEKT = think guilty: I suspect he lied.

54. Torment

• TOR-ment = suffering: Mental torment.
• tor-MENT = torture: Stop tormenting me.

55. Transfer

• TRANS-fur = move noun: A bank transfer.
• trans-FUR = move verb: Transfer the money.

56. Upset

• UP-set = unhappy: She is upset.
• up-SET = overturn: Don’t upset the boat.

57. Use

• YOOSS = purpose: The use of tools.
• YOOZ = employ: Use a pencil.

58. Abuse

• uh-BYOOSS = misuse: Drug abuse.
• uh-BYOOZ = misuse/harm: Don’t abuse power.

59. House

• HOWSS = building: A big house.
• HOWZ = provide housing: The museum houses art.

60. Mouth

• MOWTH = body part: Open your mouth.
• MOWTH = say silently: He mouthed the words.

Quick Tip

Heteronyms are often confused with homonyms and homographs.

• Homonyms = same spelling or sound, different meaning.
• Homographs = same spelling, may or may not sound the same.
• Heteronyms = same spelling, different sound, different meaning.