the reader plunges into the list, I should wish to fortify his spirit against premature despair by telling him that in my tedious searching of the dictionary for these words I was myself cheered to find how many words there were which are not homophones.
LIST OF HOMOPHONES
This list, the object of which is to make the reader easily acquainted with the actual defect of the language in this particular, does not pretend to be complete or scientific; and in the identification of doubtful words the clue was dictated by brevity. s., v., and adj. mean substantive, verb, and adjective. The sections were made to aid the conspectus.
The main indictment is contained in sections i, ii, and iii. These three sections contain 505 entries, involving some 1,075 words.
The homophones in the other sections, iv, v, vi, vii, viii and ix, are generally of such a kind that they would not of themselves constitute a very peculiar case against the English language; but their addition to the main list does very much strengthen the case. One intention in isolating them from the main list was to prevent their contaminating it with their weaker quality; but their separate classification crosses and sometimes overrides that more general distinction. Section iv has some literary interest; vi is inconsistent; the other sections are more or less scientific. These six sections contain some 330 entries involving about 700 words, so that the total of words involved is about 1,775.
The order in this section is that of the phonetic alphabet.
I. THE MAIN LIST OF HOMOPHONES
arc, ark.
arm (limb), arm (weapon).
alms, arms.
aunt, ant, arn't.
arch (s.), arch (adj.).
eye, ay, I.
idol, idle, idyll.
aisle, isle, I'll.
eyelet, islet.
our, hour.
bark (dog), bark (tree), bark (boat).
balm, barm.
bite, bight.
buy, by, bye.
bough, bow, bow (of ship).
bound (leap), bound (limit), bound (fr. bind).
bank (ground), bank (money).
barren, baron.
barrow (hill), barrow (wheel-b.).
bat (club), bat (vespertilio).
batter (s.), batter (v.).
buck (various roots and senses).
bustle (hurry), bustle (dress).
but, butt (tub), butt (v.).
bale (ill), bale (pack), bail (bis).
base, bass.
bate, bait.
beck (and nod), beck (a brook).
bell, belle.
bury, berry.
bear (s.), bare (adj.), bear, bare (v.).
berth, birth.
bee, be.
beat, beet.
beetle (insect), beetle (hammer).
beach, beech.
bier, beer.
blow (a stroke), blow (of wind).
bow, beau.
bogy, bogie.
bole, bowl.
bolt (a weapon), bolt (sift), bolt (run).
bore (perforate), bore (tidal), bore (fr. bear), boar.
board, bawd, bored.
ball, bawl.
born, borne.
boy, buoy.
boil (s.), boil (v.).
box (tree), box (receptacle), box (v.).
bridal, bridle.
bray (of donkey), bray (to pound), brae.
break, brake (fern), brake (of carriages, bis).
braze (to solder), braze (to brazen), braise (to stew), braes.
breach, breech.
breeze (the wind), breeze (a fly), breeze (cinders).
broach, brooch.
hue, hew.
die (v.), dye, die (cast).
down (dune), down (fluff), down (adv.).
doubt, dout.
dam (mother), dam (obstruct), damn.
duck (bird), duck (dear), duck (stuff), duck (v.).
dun (colour), dun (importune), done.
date (fruit), date (datum).
dean, dene.
deer, dear.
desert, dessert.
due, dew.
doe, dough.
dock (plant), dock (basin), dock (shear).
drill (sow), drill (bore), drill (training).
drupe, droop.
jar (vase), jar (discord).
jamb, jam.
jet (mineral), jet (squirt).
gin (drink), gin (snare), jinn.
there, their.
the, thee.
eh! aye (ever).
ale, ail.
eight,
