Which term refers to two words that have the same spelling but different pronunciation and meaning depending on stress?

Which term refers to two words that have the same spelling but different pronunciation and meaning depending on stress?

• A. Intonation; Stress
• B. Tone
• C. Pragmatics
• D. Homographs

Answer: (D)

Two words that have the same spelling but different pronunciation and meaning depending on stress are homographs. They look identical in writing, and the meaning shifts when you stress one syllable over the other, which can also change how they’re pronounced. A common example is record: when it’s a thing you keep (a record), it’s pronounced RE-cord; when you action it (to record something), it’s re-CORD. Similarly, present can mean a gift or to show something, with the stress guiding the pronunciation and meaning. Other terms describe aspects of speech like pitch patterns (intonation), language-level tone, or meaning from context (pragmatics), but they don’t capture the idea of identical spelling with stress-driven pronunciation and sense changes. So the best term is homographs.

Two words that have the same spelling but different pronunciation and meaning depending on stress are homographs. They look identical in writing, and the meaning shifts when you stress one syllable over the other, which can also change how they’re pronounced. A common example is record: when it’s a thing you keep (a record), it’s pronounced RE-cord; when you action it (to record something), it’s re-CORD. Similarly, present can mean a gift or to show something, with the stress guiding the pronunciation and meaning. Other terms describe aspects of speech like pitch patterns (intonation), language-level tone, or meaning from context (pragmatics), but they don’t capture the idea of identical spelling with stress-driven pronunciation and sense changes. So the best term is homographs.