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☛ 1. How many different spellings can you think of for the sound of the vowel in bed (IPA: /ɛ/)? Hint: There are more than five. 2. How many different pronunciations can you think of for the letter “t”?

Answers: 1. At least nine: any, said, says, bed, head, heifer, friend, foetid (British spelling), bury (some speakers). 2. At least six: two (/t/), nation (/ʃ/), listen (none), three (/θ/), these (/ð/), culture (/tʃ/)

An interesting kind of complexity in sound and spelling arises from homonyms (from the Greek for “same name”), words that sound or look the same. The Venn diagram in Figure 3.2 gives a breakdown. Though not all authorities agree on how to define homonym, most recognize two main subtypes: homographs, different words with the same spelling (the two meanings of close); and homophones, different words with the same sound (there and their). At the intersection are words that fit both categories simultaneously, such as lie as in “recline” and “an untruth.”

Figure 3.2 Types of homonyms