Appendix:English dialect-dependent homophones

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search
A user suggests that this English appendix be cleaned up, giving the reason: “This entire page is unreferenced, and seems very dubious. Do we have a "disputed" tag that should be used here?”.
Please see the discussion on Requests for cleanup(+) or the talk page for more information and remove this template after the problem has been dealt with.

Homophones are words that have the same sound but different meanings (and may or may not have different spellings). This list consists exclusively of homophones that have a different spelling.

Many pairs of English words which have either gained or lost their homophony through phonemic splits and mergers. Where the split or merger is not complete throughout the language this can lead to a situation where a pair of words are homophones in one dialect but not so in another.

This is a list of sets of words which are homophonous in some dialects of English but not others. For other sets of homophones see the list of dialect-independent homophones.

General vowel splits and mergers

[edit]

Foot-strut split

[edit]
Note:
The following may be homophones in dialects without the foot-strut split. In the northern half of England, bordering areas of North East Wales, and some eastern areas of Ireland, these pairs have the /ʊ/ vowel and there is no /ʌ/ phoneme. (However, many of the -ook words have the goose vowel in some dialects of northern England and Ireland, and so remain distinct).
booger/bugger (/bʊɡ.ər/, /bʌɡ.ər/)
book/buck (/bʊk/, /bʌk/)
cook/cuck (/kʊk/, /kʌk/)
could/cud (/kʊd/, /kʌd/)
courier/currier (/kʊ.ri.ər/, /kʌ.ri.ər/)
crooks/crux (/krʊks/, /krʌks/)
cwm/come/cum (/kʊm/, /kʌm/)
foot/phut (/fʊt/, /fʌt/)
Fourier/furrier (/fʊ.ri.ər/, /fʌ.ri.ər/)
hook/huck (/hʊk/, /hʌk/)
look/luck (/lʊk/, /lʌk/)
looks/luxe (/lʊks/, /lʌks/)
poof/puff (/pʊf/, /pʌf/)
puss/pus (/pʊs/, /pʌs/)
put/putt (/pʊt/, /pʌt/)
roof/rough (/rʊf/, /rʌf/)
shook/shuck (/ʃʊk/, /ʃʌk/)
stood/stud (/stʊd/, /stʌd/)
took/tuck (/tʊk/, /tʌk/)

Trap-bath split

[edit]
Note:
The following may be homophones in dialects without the trap-bath split.
ant/aunt (/ænt/, /ɑːnt/)
cant/can't (/kænt/, /kɑːnt/)
have/halve (/hæv/, /hɑːv/)
massed/mast (/mæst/, /mɑːst/)

Bad-lad split

[edit]
Note:
The following are not homophones in some dialects with the bad–lad split.
an/Ann (/æn, æːn/)
can (be able to)/can (container) (/kæn, kæːn/)
span (spin)/span (space) (/spæn, spæːn/)
ran/Wran (/ræn, ræːn/)
Manning/manning (/mæn.ɪŋ, mæːn.ɪŋ/)
bade/bad (/bæd, bæːd/)
sadist/saddest (/sæd.ɪst, sæːd.ɪst/)
band/banned (/bænd, bæːnd/)

Phonemic æ-tensing

[edit]
Note:
The following are not homophones in dialects with the phonemic æ-tensing.
can (be able to)/can (container) (/kæn, keən/)
have/halve (/hæv, heəv/)
Manning/manning (/mæn.ɪŋ, meən.ɪŋ/)

Cot-caught merger

[edit]
Note:
The following are homophones in dialects with the cot-caught merger.
odd/awed (/ɒd, ɔːd/)
sod/sawed (/sɒd, sɔːd/)
cod/cawed (/kɒd, kɔːd/)
nod/gnawed (/nɒd, nɔːd/)
pod/pawed (/pɒd, pɔːd/)
clod/(clawed/Claud) (/klɒd, klɔːd/)
body/bawdy (/bɒd.i, bɔːd.i/)
chock/chalk (/tʃɒk, tʃɔːk/)
cock/calk/caulk (/kɒk, kɔːk/)
wok/walk (/wɒk, wɔːk/)
tock/talk (/tɒk, tɔːk/)
tox/talks (/tɒks, tɔːks/)
box/balks (/bɒks, bɔːks/)
fox/Fawkes (/fɒks, fɔːks/)
ox/auks (/ɒks, ɔːks/)
collar/caller (/kɒl.ər, kɔːl.ər/)
holler/hauler (/hɒl.ər, hɔːl.ər/)
squalor/squaller (/skwɒl.ər, skwɔːl.ər/)
hock/hawk (/hɒk, hɔːk/)
stock/stalk (/stɒk, stɔːk/)
pol/pall/Paul (/pɒl, pɔːl/)
don/dawn (/dɒn, dɔːn/)
shone/(Sean/Shaun/Shawn) (/ʃɒn, ʃɔːn/)
yon/yawn (/jɒn, jɔːn/)
John/jawn (/dʒɒn, dʒɔːn/)
fond/fawned (/fɒnd, fɔːnd/)
pond/pawned (/pɒnd, pɔːnd/)
bronze/brawns (/brɒnz, brɔːnz/)
notch/nautch (/nɒt͡ʃ, nɔːt͡ʃ/)
cot/caught (/kɒt, kɔːt/)
sot/sought (/sɒt, sɔːt/)
bot/bought (/bɒt, bɔːt/)
tot/taut/taught (/tɒt, tɔːt/)
(knot/not)/(naught/nought) (/nɒt, nɔːt/)
knotty/naughty (/nɒ.ti, nɔː.ti/)
hottie/haughty (/hɒ.ti, hɔː.ti/)
rot/wrought (/rɒt, rɔːt/)
tot/(taught/taut) (/tɒt, tɔːt/)
dotter/daughter (/dɒt.ər, dɔː.tər/)
slotter/slaughter (/slɒt.ər, slɔː.tər/)
popper/pauper (/pɒp.ər, pɔː.pər/)
bobble/bauble (/bɒb.əl, bɔː.bəl/)
coddle/caudle (/kɒd.əl, kɔː.dəl/)
doddle/dawdle (/dɒd.əl, dɔː.dəl/)
The following are homophones both in dialects with the cot-caught merger and in some North American dialects without the merger (cf the ON line).
on (/ɒn, ɔn/) / awn (/ɔːn/)
offal (/ɒfəl, ɔfəl/) / awful (/ɔːfəl, ɔfəl, ɒfəl/)

Father-bother merger

[edit]
The following are homophones in dialects with the father-bother merger.
baht/bot (/bɑːt, bɒt/)
balm/bomb (/bɑːm, bɒm/)
dal/doll (/dɑːl, dɒl/)
khaki/cocky (/ˈkɑːki, ˈkɒki/)(except in most American and some Canadian accents)
Khan/con (/kɑːn, kɒn/)
sari/sorry (/sɑːri, sɒri/) (except in some Eastern American and Canadian accents)
lager/logger (/lɑːɡər, lɒɡər/)
lakh/lock (/lɑːk, lɒk/)
mach/mock (/mɑːk, mɒk/)
Mali/Molly (/mɑːli, mɒli/)
palm/Pom (/pɑːm, pɒm/)
Raab/rob (/rɑːb, rɒb/)
Saab/sob (/sɑːb, sɒb/)
Siân/shone (/ʃɑːn, ʃɒn/)

Cot-caught and father-bother mergers

[edit]
Note:
The following are homophones in dialects with both the cot-caught and the father-bother mergers.
awe/ah (/ɔː, ɑː/)
haw/ha (/hɔː, hɑː/)
paw/pa (/pɔː, pɑː/)
balk/Bach (/bɔːk, bɑːx/)
bought/baht (/bɔːt, bɑːt/)
(ball/bawl)/Baal(/bɔːl, bɑːl/)
crawl/kraal (/krɔːl, krɑːl/)
gnaw/nah (/nɔː, nɑː/)
law/la (/lɔː, lɑː/)
maw/ma (/mɔː, mɑː/)
paw/pa (/pɔː, pɑː/)
raw/Ra (/rɔː, rɑː/)
(Sean/Shaun/Shawn)/Siân (/ʃɔːn, ʃɑːn/)

FOOT-GOOSE merger

[edit]
Noteː
The following are homophones in dialects with the FOOT-GOOSE merger.
bull/buhl (/bʊl, buːl/)
could/cooed (/kʊd, kuːd/)
full/fool (/fʊl, fuːl/)
hood/who'd (/hʊd, huːd/)
looker/lucre (/lʊkər, luːkər/)
look/Luke (/lʊk, luːk/)
pull/pool (/pʊl, puːl/)
should/shooed (/ʃʊd, ʃuːd/)
soot/suit (/sʊt, suːt/)
(wood/would)/wooed (/wʊd, wuːd/)

Mergers before historic r

[edit]

Mary-merry-marry merger

[edit]
Note:
The following are homophones in dialects with the mary-merry-marry merger.
Mary/merry/marry (/ˈmɛə.ri/, /ˈmɛr.i/, /ˈmær.i/)
hairy/(harry/Harry) (/ˈhɛə.ri/, /ˈhær.i/, /ˈhær.i/)
hairier/harrier (/ˈhɛə.ri.ər/, /ˈhær.i.ər/)
herald/Harold (/ˈhɛr.əld/, /ˈhær.əld/)
(fairy/faery)/ferry (/ˈfɛə.ri/, /ˈfɛr.i/)
(berry/bury)/Barry (/ˈbɛr.i/, /ˈbær.i/)
vary/very (/ˈvɛə.ri/, /ˈvɛr.i/)
airer/error (/ˈɛə.rər/, /ˈɛr.ər/)
tearer/terror (/ˈtɛə.rər/, /ˈtɛr.ər/)
perish/parish (/ˈpɛr.ɪʃ/, /ˈpær.ɪʃ/)
(faro/pharaoh)/farrow (/ˈfɛə.rəʊ/, /ˈfær.əʊ/)
Erin/Aaron (/ˈɛr.ɪn/, /ˈær.ən/) (with the weak vowel merger)
perry/parry (/ˈpɛr.i/, /ˈpær.i/)
terry/tarry (/ˈtɛr.i/, /ˈtær.i/)
feral/Farrel (/ˈfɛr.əl/, /ˈfær.əl/)

Mirror-nearer merger

[edit]
Note:
The following are homophones in dialects with the mirror-nearer merger.
merer/mirror (/ˈmɪə.rər/, /ˈmɪ.rər/)
serious/Sirius (/ˈsɪə.riˌəs/, /ˈsɪ.riˌəs/)
serous/cirrus (/ˈsɪə.rəs/, /ˈsɪ.rəs/)

Horse-hoarse merger

[edit]
Note:
The following are homophones in dialects with the horse-hoarse merger.
for/(fore/four) (/fɔːr, fɔər/)
forward/foreword (/ˈfɔːr.wərd/, /ˈfɔər.wɜːrd/) (Only in GenAm as it lacks /ə/, /ɜː/ contrast)
or/(oar/ore/o'er) (/ɔːr, ɔər/)
aural/oral (/ˈɔː.rəl, ˈɔə.rəl/)
aureole/oriole (/ˈɔː.ri.oʊl, ˈɔə.ri.oʊl/)
Taurus/torus (/ˈtɔː.rəs, ˈtɔə.rəs/)
war/wore (/wɔːr, wɔər/)
(chord/cord)/cored (/kɔːrd, kɔərd/)
border/boarder (/ˈbɔːrd.ər/, /ˈbɔərd.ər/)
horse/hoarse (/hɔːrs, hɔərs/)
warn/worn (/wɔːrn, wɔərn/)
born/borne (/bɔːrn, bɔərn/)
morn/mourn (/mɔːrn, mɔərn/)
See also:
Non-rhotic homophones

Wine-whine merger

[edit]
Note:
The following are homophones in dialects with the wine-whine merger.
way/weigh/whey (/weɪ, ʍeɪ/)
wale/wail/whale (/weɪl, ʍeɪl/)
Wales/wails/whales (/weɪlz, ʍeɪlz/)
wear/ware/weir/where (/wɛər, ʍɛər/)
weal/we'll/wheal/wheel (/wiːl, ʍiːl/)
weald/wield/wheeled (/wiːld, ʍiːld/)
wye/Y/why (/waɪ, ʍaɪ/)
wide/why'd (/waɪd, ʍaɪd/)
wile/while (/waɪl, ʍaɪl/)
wild/wiled/whiled (/waɪld, ʍaɪld/)
wind/wined/wynd/whined (/waɪnd, ʍaɪnd/)
wire/why're (/waɪər, waɪr, ʍaɪ.ər/)
wise/Y's/whys/why's (/waɪz, ʍaɪz/)
woe/whoa (/wəʊ, ʍəʊ/)
weather/wether/whether (/wɛ.ðər, ʍɛ.ðər/)
wet/whet (/wɛt, ʍɛt/)
word/whirred (/wɜːrd, ʍɜːrd/)
world/whirled/whorled (/wɜːrld, ʍɜːrld/)
witch/which (/wɪtʃ, ʍɪtʃ/)
whit/wit (/wɪt, ʍɪt/)

H-dropping

[edit]
Note:
The following are homophones in dialects with h-dropping
arm/harm (/ɑːrm, hɑːrm/)
ardor/harder (/ˈɑːrdər/, /ˈhɑːrdər/)
arc/ark/hark (/ɑːrk, hɑːrk/)
art/heart (/ɑːrt, hɑːrt/)
eat/heat (/iːt, hiːt/)
at/hat (/æt, hæt/)
ash/hash (/æʃ, hæʃ/)
am/ham (/æm, hæm/)
aft/haft (/æft, hæft/)
ad/had (/æd, hæd/)
axe/hacks (/æk, hæk/)
and/hand (/ænd, hænd/)
oboe/hobo (/ˈəʊbəʊ, ˈhəʊbəʊ/)
old/hold (/əʊld, həʊld/)
ohm/home (/əʊm, həʊm/)
own/hone (/əʊn, həʊn/)
owe/oh/ho/hoe (/əʊ, həʊ/)
ow/how (/aʊ, haʊ/)
ooze/who's/whose (/uːz, huːz/)
oaks/hoax (/əʊks, həʊks/)
ate/eight/hate (/eɪt, heɪt/)
ale/ail/hale/hail (/eɪl, heɪl/)
ear/hear/here (/ɪər, hɪər/)
it/hit (/ɪt, hɪt/)
is/his (/ɪz, hɪz/)
itch/hitch (/ɪtʃ, hɪtʃ/)
id/hid (/ɪd, hɪd/)
I/eye/hi/high (/aɪ, haɪ/)
Ike/hike (/aɪk, haɪk/
I've/hive (/aɪv, haɪv/)
Ides/hides (/aɪdz, haɪdz/)
eyed/hide (/aɪd, haɪd/)
heir/air/hair/hare (/ɛər, hɛər/)
otter/hotter (/ɒt.ər, hɒt.ər/)
edge/hedge (/ɛdʒ, hɛdʒ/)
elm/helm (/ɛlm, hɛlm/)
all/awl/haul/hall (/ɔːl, hɔːl/)
eel/heel/heal (/iːl, hiːl/)
eat/heat (/iːt, hiːt/)
eve/heave (/iːv, hiːv/)
earl/hurl (/ɜːrl, hɜːrl/)
awe/haw (/ɔː, hɔː/)
ore/oar/or/hoar/whore (/ɔːr, hɔːr/)
auk/hawk (/ɔːk, hɔːk/)

Yod-dropping and coalescence

[edit]
Yod-coalescence
dew/due/Jew (/ˈdʒuː/)
dual/duel/jewel (/dʒuː(.ə)l/)
dune/June (/ˈdʒuːn/)
deuce/juice (/ˈdʒuːs/)
duke/juke (/ˈdʒuːk/)
Yod-dropping
The following are homophones in most dialects of English.
threw/(through/thru) (/ˈθruː/)
brood/brewed (/ˈbruːd/)
rood/rude/rued (/ˈruːd/)
droop/drupe (/ˈdruːp/)
lieu/loo/Lou (/ˈluː/)
lune/loon (/ˈluːn/)
lute/loot (/ˈluːt/)
flew/flue/flu (/ˈfluː/)
slue/slew/slough (/sluː/)
gloom/glume (/ˈɡluːm/)
choose/chews (/ˈtʃuːz/)
chute/shoot (/ˈʃuːt/)
The following are homophones in General American English.
dew/due/do (/ˈduː/)
undue/undo (/ʌn.ˈdu/)
overdue/overdo (/oʊvərˈdu/)
tune/toon (/ˈtuːn/)
knew/gnu/new/[nu] (/ˈnuː/)
The following are homophones in some East Anglian accents.
pure/poor (/ˈpʊə/)
beauty/booty (/ˈbuː.ti/)
mute/moot (/ˈmuːt/)
cute/coot (/ˈkuːt/)

Th

[edit]

Th-fronting

[edit]

The following words are homophonous when th-fronted. Words marked with an asterisk (*) are homophonous only in a non-rhotic accent.

Note: The word(s) containing the /f/ or /v/ is mentioned first, with the word(s) containing the /θ/ or /ð/ following.
Aoife/ether*
barf*/bath
beef/Beith
breve/breathe
café/Cathay
caff/Cath
clove/clothe
deaf/death
F/eth
faugh/for*/four*/thaw
faun/fawn/thorn*
feign/fain/thane
feoff/fief/thief
fervor/further
few/thew
fie/thigh
fill/thill
fin/Finn/thin
firm/therm
first/thirst
foal/thole
for/four/Thor
ford*/thawed
fort*/fought/thought
Fred/thread
free/three
fresh/thresh
fresher/thresher
fret/threat
frill/thrill
fro/throw
froze/throes
fug/thug
fuse/thews
half/hearth*
infuse/enthuse
laugh/lath
lava/lather*
lave/lathe
leafy/Lethe
live/lithe
loaf/loath
never/nether
oaf/oath
rave/rathe
reef/wreath
reive/wreathe
rive/writhe
roof/Ruth
sheaf/sheath
sliver/slither
whiff/withe

Th-alveolarization

[edit]

The following words are homophonous when th-alveolarized (/θ/ becomes /s/, and /ð/ becomes /z/). Words marked with an asterisk (*) are homophonous only in a non-rhotic accent.

Note: The word(s) containing the /s/ or /z/ is listed first, with the word(s) containing the /θ/ or /ð/ following.
bays/bathe
breeze/breathe
cymbal/symbol/thimble
face/faith
force/fourth
gross/growth
kiss/kith
lays/laze/lathe
mass/math/maths
mouse/mouth
moss/moth
miss/myth
Norse/north
pass/path
piss/pith
sank/thank
saw/soar*/sore*/thaw
sawed/sword*/thawed
sawn/thorn*
saws/soars*/sores*/thaws
seem/theme
seems/themes
seize/seethe
sick/thick
sigh/thigh
sighs/size/thighs
sin/thin
sing/thing
sings/things
sink/think
sinking/thinking
sinks/thinks
sinning/thinning
sins/thins
soared*/thawed
soaring*/thawing
soars*/sores*/thaws
song/thong
songs/thongs
sort*/sought/thought
sorts*/thoughts
sues/soothe
sum/thumb
sump/thump
tense/tenth
whizz/with
worse/worth
zees/these
zen/then

Th-debuccalisation

[edit]
Note:
For Scottish English speakers with th-debuccalisation, the following pairs are homophonous.
Haines/thanes
hank/thank
hatch/thatch
hatches/thatches
haw/thaw
heard/third
herd/third
hi/hie/high/thigh
hick/thick
hin/thin
hod/thawed
hug/thug
Hurst/thirst

Th-stopping

[edit]

In some Caribbean and Irish accents that merge /θ, ð/ with /t, d/ the following words are homophonous.

Bart/bath
bayed/bathe
Bert/birth
boat/both
boot/booth
breed/breathe
Dan/than
dare/their/there/they're
dare/there
day/they
den/then
dhow/thou
dine/thine
dirt/dearth
diss/this
frot/froth
got/goth
heart/hearth
mats/maths
met/meth
mitt/myth
mudder/mother
nutting/nothing
part/path
read/reed/wreathe
ride/wrythe
tank/thank
taught/thought
tent/tenth
tin/thin
tinker/thinker
toot/tooth
trash/thrash
tree/three
true/threw/through
turd/third
udder/other

Non-rhotic homophones

[edit]

CommA-lettER merger

[edit]
airier/area
formerly/formally (/ˈfɔːr.mər.li/, /ˈfɔːr.mə.li/)
manner/manna
(miner/minor)/mynah
panda-pander
rotor/rota

With the weak vowel merger

[edit]
bittern/bitten
pattern/(paten/patten)

PALM-START merger

[edit]
arms/alms
farther/father
far/fah
larva/lava (/ˈlɑːr.və/, /ˈlɑː.və/)
spar/spa

PALM-BATH merger

[edit]
aren't/aunt (/ɑːrnt, ɑːnt/)

THOUGHT-FORCE merger

[edit]
court/caught
core/corps/caw
cores/cause
floor/flaw
fort/fought
hoar/whore/haw
lore/law
more/maw
oar/ore/o'er/awe (/ɔər, ɔː/)
pore/pour/paw (/pɔːr, pɔər, pɔː/)
pores/pours/pause/paws (/pɔːrz, pɔərz, pɔːz/)
roar/raw
(soar/sore)/saw (/sɔːr, sɔər, sɔː/)
source/sauce
yore/yaw

THOUGHT-NORTH merger

[edit]
drawers/draws
or/ore/o'er/awe (/ɔːr, ɔː/)
porn/pawn
rort/wrought
sort/sought
stork/stalk
torque/talk
tort/taught/taut

THOUGHT-CURE merger

[edit]
poor/paw
your/you're/yaw