Grammar Skillz
December 16, 2004 3:53 AM   Subscribe

I lack l33t grammar sk1llz. If two words are spelled or misspelled differently, if they sound the same, and if they mean the same thing, then what are they. Monosemy comes close, Homonym, Antonym and Simile are miles off. Derivation is OK, but not accurate enough. Please Hope me.
posted by seanyboy to Writing & Language (13 answers total)
 
Best answer: Then they'd be synonymous homophones, or homphonous synonyms, wouldn't they? I don't know if there's a single word term for same-sound/same-meaning/different spelling & can't even think of any examples of such a thing off the top of my head.
posted by misteraitch at 4:03 AM on December 16, 2004


Oh, come to think of it, I guess draught/draft, colour/color & other US/UK spelling differences would be examples of the phenomenon you have in mind?
posted by misteraitch at 4:05 AM on December 16, 2004


Synonyms are two words that are spelled differently and mean the same thing, but they don't sound the same. Can you give an example? I can't think of any words that fit your criteria except for regional spellings of words. (on preview - what misteraitch said)
posted by iconomy at 4:07 AM on December 16, 2004


Do you mean like axe and ax? Aid and aide almost work, too. Can you tell I'm looking at the A words on a homonym list?
posted by iconomy at 4:21 AM on December 16, 2004


Response by poster: Examples would be color & colour, txt spk, l33t speak, and in my particular case, misspellings of the word profit. e.g. profitt, e-profit, possibly prophet, profits, profit$, etc. Homophone sounds good enough, but I like the idea of "homphonous synonyms". Thankx all.
posted by seanyboy at 4:23 AM on December 16, 2004


Heterographic homophones?
posted by availablelight at 4:27 AM on December 16, 2004


Response by poster: Also, Toys 'r us and "Toys are us" and Toysaurus.
posted by seanyboy at 4:27 AM on December 16, 2004


Err, that should have been homophonous, but now you mention it, homphonous almost sounds better...
posted by misteraitch at 4:28 AM on December 16, 2004


Those are simply called spellings, or in some of the cases you mentioned, misspellings.
posted by grouse at 5:02 AM on December 16, 2004


It seems that's a grey/gray area.
posted by Gyan at 5:47 AM on December 16, 2004


Chile/chili/chilli
posted by dash_slot- at 5:54 AM on December 16, 2004


Alternate spellings.
posted by signal at 6:36 AM on December 16, 2004


Aid and aide almost work, too.

No they don't.
posted by Robot Johnny at 7:11 AM on December 16, 2004


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