HETERONYMS

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of words in English that sound the same but are spelled differently (homophones - right, rite, write), and likewise with words that have more than one meaning (homographs - right - opposite of left and right - correct.) There are also many two-syllable words which change meaning when the stress is shifted from one syllable to the other (stressonyms - con' duct / con duct'). But there are very few English words with exactly the same spelling that are pronounced completely differently (heteronyms - live, wind, dove). Here are four of them:

GEE - With a soft G, as in GEE WHIZ or with a hard G, as in GEE - a command to a horse to turn right

TEAR -  (pronounced like TARE - To rip or pull apart, as paper or cloth, or with a long E sound -  the salty liquid from the eyes when crying

DRAWER - One who draws or a box-shaped compartment that slides horizontally out of a dresser or other piece of furniture

SOUFFLE -  (soo FLAY') - An egg-based baked dish. SOUFFLE (SOO' ful) is a medical term meaning a low, murmuring sound heard through a stethoscope.