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.
"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.
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" 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.
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.
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).
"Dōtetsu igigo" is a technical term in linguistics.