posted
Okay, so how many words can you think of in the English language that are spelt exactly the same, yet are pronounced differently, and have different meanings?
Someone asked me this recently, and my sister and I could only come up with eleven. It was rather amusing when we were sitting at the dinner table and my brother pronounced a word the "wrong" way (for the context he was using it in), and my sister and I both corrected him and then looked at each other and shouted "that's a WORD!" and started giggling crazily.
We're perfectly normal people, I swear.
So, I've given you one example to get you started. Aaaand GO!
Posts: 1431 | Registered: Aug 2003
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In Japanese there are alot of these, like hashi means chopsticks and bridge, depending on the intonation.
Posts: 516 | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
Okay, lead and live/s were on the list. Polish I'll give you, even though it has to be capitalised one way. But what's the other pronunciation of affect?
'Course, I'm one of those people who frequently think they know how to pronounce something because of only ever reading it and not hearing it. (I do know how to pronounce affectation, which was my first thought of the other meaning of affect - is it pronounced differently when it means that?)
posted
Hm, although I intially thought the pronunciation was different, now I realise that affect and affect are actually only different inside my head- how disappointing.
EDIT:
I think the distinction is slight.
To me, the affect as in "he tried to affect a English accent" has a slightly purer "a" and more stress on the FECT.
posted
actually, I get the affect one. The first definition is, you know, affecting something. The second is describing a person's look in psychological terms, what their "affect" is, and is pronounced differently.
At least here in New England.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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posted
Not just in New England. Also in the Midwest, Midsouth, and Texas.
Maybe not in California, though...
*random: a professor of mine threatened not to let us graduate if we couldn't tell the difference between affect and effect.*
Posts: 99 | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
Yeah, I know the different meanings of affect. As far as I can tell though, we pronounce them the same here. I do anyway... let's not let that affect how we view Kiwi intelligence though. Posts: 1431 | Registered: Aug 2003
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I had to think a bit about the other "number". too. I don't think I've ever heard numb-er used before, heh.
Posts: 1431 | Registered: Aug 2003
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youths (as in more than one young person: "the youths liked to hang around the 7-11 making trouble") youths (as in more that one period of being young "many politicians had wild youths")
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Resume doesn't really fall into this category, because it has to have the accent over the 'e' to take its other form. Not that I can think of any better examples that haven't been mentioned yet, but if I can't build myself up I can always tear someone else down. Posts: 2804 | Registered: May 2003
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quote:Resume doesn't really fall into this category, because it has to have the accent over the 'e' to take its other form.
I disagree. I prefer to write it résumé, just to show off that I know how to write it "correctly," but it is quite acceptable to write it without the accents. Accordine to m-w.com, while résumé is preferred, resumé and resume are both accepted variants as well.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
It's amusing to note that while résumé is a french word, a résumé is not called that in french.
Posts: 1996 | Registered: Feb 2004
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bass (Thank Ryoko for this one: "Female Bass Players unite!") digest compact present intern (I think this is right, but then again, no coffee yet.)
*Three from my friend* proceeds exploit wound
quote:youths (as in more than one young person: "the youths liked to hang around the 7-11 making trouble") youths (as in more that one period of being young "many politicians had wild youths")
Did anyone think of this?
quote:Vinny: It is possible that the two utes...
Judge: ...Ah, the two what? Uh... uh, what was that word?
Vinny: Uh... what word?
Judge: Two what?
Vinny Gambini: What?
Judge: Uh... did you say "utes"?
Vinny: Yeah, two utes.
Judge: What is a ute?
Vinny: Oh, excuse me, Your Honor... [exaggerated] two YOUTHS.
[ March 12, 2005, 10:19 AM: Message edited by: Beren One Hand ]
Posts: 4116 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Beren took mine! (bass) I was so disappointed because that's the only one I could come up with.
But lo and behold, miracle of miracles, I think of another without even trying a mere two minutes later: address. Posts: 1056 | Registered: Mar 2002
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