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 look the same in writing but carry different meanings and are pronounced differently when their stress shifts are treated as homographs. The spelling is identical, but context tells us which meaning and pronunciation to use. For example, present can be a gift (PRE-sent) or to show (pre-SENT); lead can be a metal (LED) or to guide (leed). These cases show how spelling alone doesn’t determine sound or meaning, and context (including stress) guides interpretation. The broader idea here is homographs—words that share spelling but can have multiple pronunciations and senses. Sometimes, when the pronunciation changes with meaning, people call them heteronyms, which are a subset of homographs. The other terms refer to sound patterns or pragmatic use of language and don’t capture the idea of same-spelling words with differing pronunciations and meanings.