Homophones: bass or base? Chord or cord?
Homophones are words that sound alike but have different meanings. Many homophones also have different spellings, and all too often, people mix them up.
The result is an onslaught of misspellings throughout the written universe.
Although these mistakes are understandable, they are problematic since they are contagious. If someone sees a homophone used incorrectly or misspelled enough times, they will assume the usage is correct and adopt it.
Thus the errors spread.
Ideally we’d make sure our language doesn’t contain these types of words. I’m sure we are creative enough to come up with completely new words, but unfortunately, language evolves of its own accord, so we must make do with what we have.
Today, we’ll look at two sets of homophones that have connections to music. The first set of homophones is bass and base. The second is chord and cord. For the purposes of this article, we’re going to use only common definitions of these homophones.
Homophones: Bass and Base
Both words, bass and base, rhyme with the following words: ace, face, lace, and race.
Bass
In music, there’s a word that’s generally used in lieu of the word low. That word is bass. There’s a bass clef, a bass guitar, and even bass speakers, which make cars go boom. All of these indicate sound that is low in tone. As you can see, this word can function as both a noun and adjective:
- On piano, the left hand plays the bass clef while the right hand plays the treble clef. (adjective)
- Charlie Pace played the bass. (noun)
- Those bass speakers are too loud! (adjective)
It’s not a fish! Bass is an odd word because it looks like it should be pronounced to rhyme with class. Actually, when referring to fish, it is pronounced that way. Just remember when talking about sound and music, it’s spelled b-a-s-s and the a is a hard vowel.
Base
This word is not nearly as fun, even though it sounds just like bass. Its meaning usually indicates the bottom or core of something. It can also mean that from which something comes. This versatile word can function as a noun, adjective, or verb.
- The base ingredient is flour. (adjective)
- It looked like a home run but he only got to third base. (noun)
- We don’t base our opinions on falsehoods. (verb)
Base sounds just like bass, but its spelled differently and doesn’t inherently deal with music or sound.
Homophones: Chord and Cord
Chord
In music, when you play three or more notes simultaneously, that’s a chord. The word chord is also used to refer to emotion.
- Can you play a C chord on the guitar?
- That episode really struck a chord with me.
Cord
You know that thing that connects your computer to the wall? That’s a cord. The same word refers to lengths of string or thin rope, such as the drawstring cord in the waistband of your sweatpants. A cord can also be a unit of volume. This word is a noun.
- Can you plug this cord into the wall?
- Tie it with a cord!
- I just ordered a cord of firewood.
Mastering Homophones
Have you ever struggled with the spelling of bass or base? What about chord or cord? Many people find homophones challenging, but they’re actually pretty easy to learn if you just take the time. Share your thoughts on these and other homophones by leaving a comment.
Thanks for the post on Homophones!
However, the use might still pose problem since the pronunciation varies in British English which dominates the Commonwealth Countries and, of course, the American English. In other words, since I am sure that more is to follow on the subject, it will benefit us if British pronunciation is also mentioned. The immediate word that comes to my mind is NASTY, where A is pronounced as A in “cares” in American English; whereas in British English it is pronounced as in “father”. This is important for people who learn English only as the Second Language.
Hi Nasir. There are many differences between British and American English with regard to both spelling and pronunciation. I’m based in the States, so Writing Forward deals with American English. This site is not for ESL students, although they may find many helpful resources here.
Depends where in the UK you come from. In the north of England the a in Nasty is pronounced as the a in cat. Short.
It’s only pronounced to rhyme with father in the south of England. In the north, it’s pronounced to rhyme with pasty, as I Cornish pasty, with a short a, like in vast, past,
Leaving aside the obvious, I see examples of all of these ones regularly in documents written people who should know better.
effect, affect
stationary, stationery
who’s, whose
pole, poll
compliment, complement
principle, principal
desert, dessert
lead, led.
I think it’s largely because some people associate spelling with the sound the words make and some associate spelling with the way they look on the page. I’m very much visual on-the-page based.
Great suggestions! I already have an article here on Writing Forward about affect/effect, but I will definitely add the others to my list. Thanks!
Some dude at Radio Shack was getting a little too technical with me and insisted on calling a “cord” a “cable” and it really struck a chord with me. I really didn’t care what it was as long as it did what I needed it to do. Besides, it said “wire” on the package.
What episode were you watching? And should I assume that show featured this Charlie Pace who plays bass you speak of? 🙂
Heheh! Too funny. I wasn’t watching any particular episode. It just popped into my head. As you can see, I’ve got Lost on my mind a lot these days.
don’t know if this is a homophone, but I never know the difference between alright, and all right. Is there a difference? When do you use each one? It’s become a real problem for me; I would so much appreciate someone telling me if there is a difference and if so, how and when I should each form. (I do enjoy Writing Forward and look forward to receiving it). Sincerely, Joan Mathews.
Hi Joan. I wouldn’t include alright and all right with homophones. Grammarians are in dispute over these two words, so you might want to do some research before deciding how to use them. My suggestion is to start with the dictionary, and then google a phrase like “alright vs. all right” and see what you can find. I’ve also added these to my notes; perhaps I’ll write an article on the subject in the future. Good luck!
I remember words such as “their” and “there” being called homonyms when I was in grade school.
I would think pairs of words like “cord” and “chord” (or “bass” and “base”) would be homonyms too. Did the term “homonym” get changed to “homophone” at some point or is a homonym different than a homophone?
Hi Peter. A quick visit to the dictionary probably would have cleared this up for you, but I’m going to refer you to an article here on Writing Forward, which answers your question in full: Homophones, Homonyms, and Homographs.
One I see all the time is peek and peak. So many writers give us a ‘sneak peak’ at their work in progress.
Yes, I see that one sometimes too. I often wonder whether some of these homophone misspellings are typos (typed incorrectly but the writer knows the correct spelling) or real mistakes.