Р е ф е р а т homonyms in the English language Знобищева Мария Сергеевна ученица «Г» класса Головко Ольга Владимировна Тамбов 2013 Lyceum 29 Report Homonyms in the English language Znobishcheva Masha g teacher: Golovko O

2.3. Standard classification of homonyms (given by I.V. Arnold)

There are three types of homonyms. They are homonyms proper, homophones and homographs. The first type is homonyms proper.

1. 
   “A tailor guarantees to give each of his customers a perfect fit.”
   

The joke is based on the homonyms: 1. Fit, n.-perfectly fitting clothes; 2. Fit, n. –a nervous spasm.

Homonyms which are the same in sound and spelling are traditionally termed homonyms proper.

2. 
   The second type of homonyms is homophones. And the following joke is based on a pun which makes use of another type of homonyms:
   

“Waiter!”

“Yes, sir!”

“What’s this?”

“It’s bean soup, sir.”

“Never mind what it has been. I want to know what it is now.”

Bean, n. and been, Past. Part. Of to be are homophones. As the example shows they are the same in sound but different in spelling. Homophones are the most common type of homonyms. And here are some more examples of homophones:

• 
  aid – to help or assist
  aide - assistant
  
• 
  buy - purchase
  by - beside
  
• 
  dear - darling
  deer – woodland animal
  
• 
  eye – sight organ
  I – me
  
• 
  know – have knowledge
  no – opposite of yes
  
• 
  meat – animal protein
  meet – encounter
  
• 
  plain - ordinary
  plane – flight machine plane
  
• 
  right – correct
  write - scribble
  
• 
  sea – ocean segment
  see – observe with eyes
  
• 
  vary - differ
  very – much
  

3. 
   And the third type of homonyms is called homographs. These are words which are the same in spelling but different in sound.
   

To lead [li:d]- to conduct on the way, go before to show the way.

Lead [led]- a heavy, rather soft metal.
Here are some more examples of homographs:

• 
  Bear (animal) and bear (carry)
  
• 
  lean (thin) and lean (rest against)
  
• 
  plane (a tool) and plane (a tree)
  
• 
  skip (to jump) and skip (to miss out)
  
• 
  miss (unmarried woman) and miss (to overlook)
  
• 
  pluck (to remove feathers) and pluck (bravery)
  
• 
  type (to write with the keyboard) and type (a sort)
  
• 
  train (a loco and trucks) and train (to teach)
  
• 
  bow (bend forward) and bow (front of a ship)
  
• 
  quail (cower) and quail (bird)
  
• 
  fair (appearance) and fair (reasonable)
  
• 
  lie (horizontal position) and lie (falsehood or untruth expressed as truth)
  
• 
  blue (the color) and blue (the feeling of sadness)