Translation guide
A homonym is a word that shares the same spelling or pronunciation as another word but has a different meaning. In Japanese, this concept is most commonly expressed with 同音異義語 (same sound, different meaning) or 同形異義語 (same form, different meaning).
The most common type of homonym in Japanese, where words sound the same but have different kanji and meanings.
This is the standard term for homophones—words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings and often different kanji. It is the most common way to refer to homonyms in Japanese.
「橋」と「箸」は同音異義語です。
"Hashi" (bridge) and "hashi" (chopsticks) are homonyms.
A shorter, less formal term for homophones. It is used in everyday conversation but is less precise than 同音異義語.
日本語には同音語が多い。
Japanese has many homophones.
Words that are written the same way (same kanji or kana) but have different meanings and sometimes different pronunciations.
This is the technical term for homographs—words that share the same written form but have different meanings. It is less commonly used in daily conversation but is precise.
「人気」は同形異義語で、「にんき」と読めば popularity、「ひとけ」と読めば sign of life です。
"人気" is a homograph: read as "ninki" it means popularity, and as "hitoke" it means sign of life.
A more specific term for homographs that emphasizes the same spelling (綴り). Rarely used outside linguistic contexts.
同綴異義語は言語学の専門用語です。
"Dōtetsu igigo" is a technical term in linguistics.
A broad term that can cover both homophones and homographs, often used in educational contexts.
This is the concept of homophony, often used as a noun modifier. It can be used to describe the phenomenon in general.
同音異義の言葉は文脈で区別します。
Homonymous words are distinguished by context.
When explaining a homonym to a Japanese speaker, it's often helpful to give the kanji or a brief definition. For example, you might say 「はし」には「橋」と「箸」の同音異義語があります (There are homonyms for 'hashi': bridge and chopsticks).