Homonyms -- What Are They?

Homonyms, or homophones, are words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings. They are usually spelled differently.

- from the RHL School website

To go along with Tara's post on the "The Transcriptionist's Mentality" I thought I'd post about one of the things that can really set a good transcriptionist apart from a poor transcriptionist: homonyms. I can't even begin to explain how frustrating it is to proof a transcript where people have incorrect words scattered randomly throughout. Tara's pet peeve is affect vs. effect, and one of mine, if I have to choose, is their vs. they're. Wikipedia has a detailed explanation of different kinds of homonyms and how to distinguish them all.

Knowing the difference between word meanings and which word is appropriate in the context of your transcript is key. This means you need to be focused on the topic you are transcribing and aware of the context. It also means you need to be aware of the different spelling and meaning possibilities connected to the word you hear.

Here is an incomplete list of homonyms that begin with the letter A:

Homonym	Meaning
acts	the process of doing something, things that have been done, a book in the Bible
ax	a sharp, steel tool
ad	an advertisement
add	to find the sum
ade	a beverage (Gatorade, lemonade)
aid	to assist
aide	an assistant
aerie	a bird's nest and an underwear line from American Eagle
airy	lofty
aero	aerodynamic, used to explain aircraft
arrow	missile with pointed shaft
affect	to have an influence on, feeling
effect	a result
ail	to feel ill
ale	fermented alcoholic beverage
air	the sky; colorless, odorless, gaseous mixture of nitrogen and oxygen
err	to make an error
heir	a person who will inherit
aisle	passageway between a row of seats
isle	small island
all	representing the total amount, number or quantity
awl	a pointed hand tool
allowed	to have let happen
aloud	orally
altar	elevated structure used in religious ceremonies
alter	to change
ant	small insect
aunt	sister of one's father or mother
ante	preliminary bet, price to be paid
auntie	sister of one's father or mother -- slang
arc	shaped like a curve or arch
ark	a large boat, a shelter or refuge
ascent	the upward climb
assent	agreement
ate	past tense of eat
eight	cardinal number equal to 7+1
aural	relating to the ear
oral	spoken rather than written, relating to the mouth
awed	in a state of wonder/reverence
odd	strange
aweful	filled with awe
awful	terrible
offal	garbage, refuse
aye	affirmative vote
eye	organ of vision
I	used to refer to oneself