"I read it yesterday, and I'll read it again tomorrow." Same spelling, two pronunciations: /red/ and /riːd/. Words like this are called heteronyms, and English has a few hundred of them. They are a problem only when you meet them in writing, because in speech the difference is always audible.
The good news is that most heteronyms follow one of three patterns. Learn the patterns and you can handle words you have never seen before.
Pattern 1: noun or adjective versus verb, with stress moving
This is by far the largest group. A two-syllable word is stressed on the first syllable when it is a noun or adjective, and on the second when it is a verb. The unstressed vowel usually reduces to schwa.
| Word | Noun / adjective | Verb |
|---|---|---|
| record | a REcord /ˈrek.ɔːd/ | to reCORD /rɪˈkɔːd/ |
| present | a PREsent /ˈprez.ənt/ | to preSENT /prɪˈzent/ |
| object | an OBject /ˈɒb.dʒɪkt/ | to obJECT /əbˈdʒekt/ |
| project | a PROject /ˈprɒdʒ.ekt/ | to proJECT /prəˈdʒekt/ |
| permit | a PERmit /ˈpɜː.mɪt/ | to perMIT /pəˈmɪt/ |
| increase | an INcrease /ˈɪn.kriːs/ | to inCREASE /ɪnˈkriːs/ |
| produce | PROduce (food) /ˈprɒdʒ.uːs/ | to proDUCE /prəˈdjuːs/ |
| desert | a DEsert /ˈdez.ət/ | to deSERT /dɪˈzɜːt/ |
| refuse | REfuse (rubbish) /ˈref.juːs/ | to reFUSE /rɪˈfjuːz/ |
| conduct, contract, conflict, contrast, rebel, suspect, survey, upset | first syllable | second syllable |
The rule is reliable enough to guess from: if you see an unfamiliar two-syllable word used as a verb, stress the second syllable. It does not apply to every word (promise, visit and answer are stressed on the first syllable as both), but it applies to most words that start with a prefix like re-, pre-, con-, ob-, pro-.
A few pairs work the other way, as adjective versus noun: content is /kənˈtent/ (happy) or /ˈkɒn.tent/ (what is inside); minute is /maɪˈnjuːt/ (tiny) or /ˈmɪn.ɪt/ (60 seconds); invalid is /ɪnˈvæl.ɪd/ (not valid) or /ˈɪn.və.lɪd/ (a sick person).
Pattern 2: the vowel changes
These pairs are usually unrelated in meaning, or related only through history. You have to learn them individually, but there are not many common ones.
| Word | Pronunciation 1 | Pronunciation 2 |
|---|---|---|
| read | /riːd/ present | /red/ past |
| lead | /liːd/ to guide | /led/ the metal |
| live | /lɪv/ verb | /laɪv/ adjective (a live show) |
| wind | /wɪnd/ moving air | /waɪnd/ to turn |
| wound | /wuːnd/ an injury | /waʊnd/ past of wind |
| tear | /tɪə/ from the eye | /teə/ to rip |
| bow | /baʊ/ bend forward; front of a ship | /bəʊ/ a knot; for arrows |
| row | /rəʊ/ a line; to use oars | /raʊ/ an argument (British) |
| close | /kləʊz/ to shut | /kləʊs/ near |
| bass | /beɪs/ low sound | /bæs/ a fish |
| dove | /dʌv/ a bird | /dəʊv/ past of dive (American) |
| does | /dʌz/ verb | /dəʊz/ female deer |
Pattern 3: voicing changes between noun and verb
A smaller group keeps the same stress but changes a final /s/ to /z/, or /θ/ to /ð/, when the word is a verb. The noun has the voiceless sound.
| Word | Noun (voiceless) | Verb (voiced) |
|---|---|---|
| use | a use /juːs/ | to use /juːz/ |
| excuse | an excuse /ɪkˈskjuːs/ | to excuse /ɪkˈskjuːz/ |
| abuse | abuse /əˈbjuːs/ | to abuse /əˈbjuːz/ |
| house | a house /haʊs/ | to house /haʊz/ |
| close | close (adj.) /kləʊs/ | to close /kləʊz/ |
Related pairs show the same pattern with different spellings: advice and advise, belief and believe, teeth and teethe, bath and bathe.
Bonus pattern: -ate words
Many words ending in -ate have a full vowel /eɪt/ as verbs and a reduced vowel /ət/ as nouns or adjectives:
- estimate: to ESti-mayt /ˈes.tɪ.meɪt/, an ESti-mət /ˈes.tɪ.mət/
- graduate: to GRAdu-ayt /ˈɡrædʒ.u.eɪt/, a GRAdu-ət /ˈɡrædʒ.u.ət/
- separate, moderate, deliberate, alternate, associate, duplicate, advocate, approximate: same pattern
The stress does not move here; only the final vowel changes. Learners often use /eɪt/ everywhere. "A separate room" with /eɪt/ is understood, but sounds noticeably wrong.
Practice sentences
Read these aloud. Each contains a heteronym used both ways.
- The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
- I object to that object on the table.
- They were too close to the door to close it.
- She shed a tear when she saw the tear in her dress.
- We must polish the Polish furniture.
- The farm was used to produce produce.
- After a number of injections my jaw got number.
- Please record the record in the studio.
The seventh sentence is a favourite among teachers: number as "more numb" is /ˈnʌm.ə/, with a silent b.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a heteronym and a homograph?
A homograph is any word with the same spelling as another, whether pronounced the same (bank of a river, bank for money) or not. A heteronym is a homograph that is pronounced differently, like read and read.
How do I know which pronunciation to use?
From the grammar. For most two-syllable pairs, stress the first syllable for a noun and the second for a verb. For the rest, the meaning in context tells you which word it is.
Are heteronyms the same in British and American English?
Mostly. A few differ: row meaning argument is mainly British, and dove as the past of dive is mainly American. Some stress patterns also differ, such as address, which many Americans stress on the first syllable as a noun.
Sources and further reading
- Wells, J. C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Pearson Longman.
- Kelly, G. (2000). How to Teach Pronunciation. Longman.
- Swan, M. (2016). Practical English Usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Disclosure: this page links to Preply, a tutoring marketplace. If you book a lesson through that link we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It does not change what is recommended here. See our disclaimer and privacy policy.
Hear both pronunciations
Look up any heteronym and check the stress marks in its transcription.
Open the IPA dictionary