A heteronyms are words that have the same spelling but different pronunciations and meanings. For example, wind and wind can easily cause confusion since both word are spelled the same BUT can be pronounced differently and have different meaning. We’ll outline heteronyms and some other words that are hard to pronounce in this mini spark.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #11: That’s hard to pronounce!
2. Write this definition on your recording sheet. A heteronym occurs when two or more homographs – words which the same spelling – are pronounced differently. In a written text, this can be confusing.
3. Watch this video. On your recording page record at least 10 ideas you learned from this video.
4. Look at this list of words. Practice the different ways the word can be pronounced. Ask your teacher to listen to you say the words in the correct format. Have your teacher put her signature on your recording sheet by step 4.
- Bass – a fish, or a low-pitched instrument
- Bow – a thing you fire arrows with, or when you bend over in a respectful greeting
- Desert – to abandon, or a (usually sandy) area with little rain
- Moped – when you were sad, or a low-powered alternative to a motorbike
- Perfect – when you get really good at something, or when something is flawless
- Polish – when you make something metal look great, or something from Poland
- Wind – when you twist something, or when the air moves
5. Number your recording sheet from 1-9. Your challenge is to try to think of a word that will fit into both blanks. These are tricky but spend at least 5 minutes trying to work on these challenge. GOAL-Try to solve at least 6! After 5 minutes or when you have at least 6, scroll way to the end of this page to check your work. Put a star for those that were correct and add in correct answers for those that were blank.
1. She will ———- if you try to bring that ugly ———-into her house.
2. I saw a ——– in her eye when he threatened to ——– up the agreement.
3. They were able to ———- the gates before the enemy got too ———-.
4. The secretary will ——– the items until she has a complete ———-.
5. A ———- occurred when the prisoners were ordered to line up in a ———-.
6. It took less than a ———— to identify the ———— virus.
7. His followers will ———- him if he forces them to live in the arid ——–.
8. He ——– all that he can to protect the ———- from harm.
9. The will written by the ———- was declared by a lawyer to be ———-.
6. Share your language arts mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Check out mini spark #9 The Dove Dove which is about words and how they are used.
ANSWERS
1. Object
2. Tear
3. Close
4. Record
5. Row
6. Minute
7. Desert
8. Does
9. Invalid
Lesson idea from https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/aug/12/super-quiz-heteronyms/