What is it called when a word has two pronunciations?

A heteronym (also known as a heterophone) is a word that has a different pronunciation and meaning from another word but the same spelling. These are homographs that are not homophones.

What is it called when two words are pronounced the same but spelled differently?

Homophones are words that sound the same but are different in meaning or spelling. Homographs are spelled the same, but differ in meaning or pronunciation. Homonyms can be either or even both. Or all the words which are spelled the same but don’t sound the same at all.

What do we call pairs of words which differ only in one sound segment?

In phonology, minimal pairs are pairs of words or phrases in a particular language, spoken or signed, that differ in only one phonological element, such as a phoneme, toneme or chroneme, and have distinct meanings. They are used to demonstrate that two phones are two separate phonemes in the language.

Why are there two different pronunciations of the English word ‘the’?

Originally Answered: Why are there two pronunciations of the English word “the”? One other reason not mentioned is that in normal circumstances the spelling should represent the pronunciation required. Obviously, this alphabetic principle is applied to a lot of words and their letters, mostly the consonants.

How is the “TH” supposed to be pronounced in English?

After all, it is the most often used word in the English language. First, the “th” part can be voiced like in other words like “thus, though, that,…” or “voiceless like in “thing, think, thought,…”. There is NO indication whatsoever as to how the “th” is supposed to be pronounced.

Why do some words have different spellings for different consonants?

One other reason not mentioned is that in normal circumstances the spelling should represent the pronunciation required. Obviously, this alphabetic principle is applied to a lot of words and their letters, mostly the consonants.

Is there an official body ruling on how words should be spelled?

There are no official bodies ruling on how words should be spelled. Lexicographers hired by publishing houses bringing words in the language with no interest in abiding to any English spelling rules. They just spell the word as it is spelled in the language of origin. “The” could use an upgrade.