End-of-the-Week Ruminations: "Homophones" / "Homonyms"

        I don't think I've ever used the terms, but the whole blog is replete with them: "razed" / "raised" on Wednesday, December 10th; "naval" / "navel" yesterday December 12th.  These are "homophones."

        "Homophones" ("same sounds"), words that have the same pronunciation but different spellings and different meanings.

       "Homographs" ("same writing"), words that have the same spelling but different meanings ["bear" animal, "bear" carry; "lead" conduct, "lead" metal].   

       "Homonyms" ("same names") are like homophones with same pronunciation, but like homographs with same spelling, and have different meanings "bark" of tree, "bark" of dog; "cast" of a play, "cast" a fishline.

       But now I'm told::  both homophones and homographs can be considered, loosely, to be forms of the third, homonyms.  I'm breathing easier already.

       All I know is cartooning punsters and I would be much worse off without them.