@CindyDevoted

Homonym– A word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not, as heir and air or bear and bare.

I love editors. They’re a breed all their own. A bit OCD and a bit of the perfectionist’s mentality, they’re the eyes that make our writing spotless. Clean. Grammatically spit-shined. Without them, many of us would be . . . well, let’s just say, we wouldn’t look as good as we do. But, if you want to have some fun with an editor, mess with a homonym and watch their eyes begin to roll and their head spin (literally).

Homonyms are, in some ways, tricky, but for the most part, it’s our lack of attention to them cause us to look bad. Writer’s fingers key faster than their brains work and it happens. The wrong word is chosen. Even Microsoft Word and autocorrect their/there (? – smile) all its glory can only search for misspelled words. In the case of a homonym, the words aren’t misspelled, making spell check useless. This is when due diligence is important.

I recently reviewed a critique at a conference. This is what I saw:

She called there home. Sent them notes. But it wasn’t until Meg knocked on their door to bear her indiscretions, that Jon realized her fear.

Those pesky homonyms reared their ugly heads and, in this case, made an advanced writer look sloppy.

Some homonyms are easily confused, such as bear and bare especially when portions of their meaning are similar.

Bear– an animal; give testimony (bear false witness); give birth

Bare– to support or uphold; naked; basic and simple

Then there are those homonyms that prove to be writer laziness or unwillingness to proof and correct. For example: Their: possessive case of they; belonging to,and there: a place.

Whatever the case, homonyms are basic mechanics in writing and a vital part of the self-editing process. Practice due diligence and professionalism in your writing by watching carefully for homonyms.

Below is a short list of commonly misused homonyms. Check out www.cooper.com/alan/homonym_list.html for a more complete listing.

Take time to proof your work. In fact, proof it over and over. Don’t let a homonym make you a sloppy writer.

Cindy K. Sproles is an author, speaker, and conference teacher. She is the cofounder of ChristianDevotions.us and the executive editor of ChristianDevotions.us and InspireaFire.com. Cindy is the managing editor for Straight Street Books and SonRise Devotionals, both imprints of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. She is an award-winning and best-selling author and the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. Visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com.  @cindydevoted