Homographs

English’s written form, like many languages’, contains homographs. A homograph is a word that shares the same written form as a word but has one or both of: a different meaning, or a different pronunciation.

For the purpose of the Rime TTS API, we are only concerned with the latter. For example, the words sow (verb, to plant seed) and sow (noun, a female pig) are spelled identically but pronounced differently. This poses a problem for any speech synthesis technology, but Rime leverages both contextual syntactic analysis and frequency information to generate likely predictions.

In the unlikely event that Rime’s predicted pronunciation is incorrect, we also provide a straightforward way of overriding these pronunciations:

Homograph Specification Example

# Fruits and vegetables?
text = "I like fresh produce_noun."
# Making things?
text = "They produce_verb a wide array of home goods for decorations."

A complete list of the homographs for which you can specify a disambiguated variant can be found in the table below.

List of Homographs

Homograph	wordid	example sentence
abstract	abstract_adj-nou	I like abstract art.
abstract	abstract_vrb	I want to abstract away from the detail.
abuse	abuse_nou	I won’t put up with this abuse.
abuse	abuse_vrb	Don’t abuse animals.
abuses	abuses_nou	These abuses are appalling.
abuses	abuses_vrb	She abuses alcohol.
addict	addict_nou	He became an addict.
addict	addict_vrb	Those drugs can addict you.
advocate	advocate_nou	I am an advocate for mental health.
advocate	advocate_vrb	I advocate for free speech.
affect	affect_nou-psy	He had a strange affect.
affect	affect	That doesn’t affect our plans.
affiliate	affiliate_nou	They’re a branch affiliate.
affiliate	affiliate_vrb	I don’t generally affiliate with them.
aged	aged_adj	He was quite aged.
aged	aged	He had aged slowly over the years.
aggregate	aggregate_adj-nou	I like his work in the aggregate.
aggregate	aggregate_vrb	I want to aggregate all the files together.
alternate	alternate_adj-nou	I was on the team as an alternate.
alternate	alternate_vrb	We should alternate between me and you.
analyses	analyses_nou	I read his analyses closely.
analyses	analyses_vrb	She analyses things carefully.
animate	animate_adj-nou	There wasn’t a single animate creature in the area.
animate	animate_vrb	I tried to animate the scene.
appropriate	appropriate_adj	That behavior is not appropriate.
appropriate	appropriate_vrb	We decided to appropriate the funds for our own purposes.
approximate	approximate_adj-nou	The approximate distance to the nearest city is 50 miles.
approximate	approximate_vrb	I want you to approximate the answer.
articulate	articulate_adj	He was quite articulate.
articulate	articulate_vrb	She could articulate her thoughts clearly during the presentation.
associate	associate_adj-nou	He was an associate professor.
associate	associate_vrb	I associate summer with vacations and relaxation.
attribute	attribute_nou	That is my favorite attribute of his.
attribute	attribute_vrb	They attribute their success to hard work and perseverance.
axes	axes_nou	The graph has axes for both the x and y variables.
axes	axes_nou-vrb	He bought some axes for the forrestry service.
bass	bass	He plays the bass guitar in the band.
bass	bass_corp	I cought a bass in the lake.
blessed	blessed_adj	The blessed reverand led the service.
blessed	blessed_vrb	We feel blessed to have such supportive friends.
bologna	bologna_geo	I would love to visit bologna italy.
bologna	bologna	Do you want mustard or mayo on your bologna sandwich?
bow	bow_nou-knot	He made a bow with a ribbon for the gift.
bow	bow_nou-ship	I walked to the bow if the ship.
buffet	buffet_nou	We enjoyed a delicious buffet at the party.
buffet	buffet_vrb	They tried to buffet us with questions.
celtic	celtic_adj-nou-sports	The Celtic culture has a rich history of myths and legends.
celtic	celtic	The Celtic guards are the best in the nba.
close	close_adj-nou	We were very close to winning.
close	close_vrb	Please close the door.
combine	combine_nou	I drove a combine on the farm.
combine	combine_vrb	Let’s combine our efforts to finish the project faster.
compact	compact_adj-nou	The apartment is compact but cozy.
compact	compact_vrb	We tried to compact the trash into a manageable size.
compound	compound_nou	The compound is made up of several buildings.
compound	compound_vrb	Our problems started to compound.
compress	compress_nou	I put a cold compress on his arm.
compress	compress_vrb	You can compress the file to save space.
conduct	conduct_nou	I approve of their conduct.
conduct	conduct_vrb	The manager will conduct interviews for the new position.
confines	confines_nou	The garden is within the confines of the castle walls.
confines	confines_vrb	She confines her birds in a small cage.
conflict	conflict_nou	They were in conflict over how to proceed with the project.
conflict	conflict_vrb	Sometimes priorities conflict with each other.
conglomerate	conglomerate_adj-nou	The company is a conglomerate of various smaller businesses.
conglomerate	conglomerate_vrb	The telephone companies started to conglomerate.
conjugate	conjugate_adj-nou	We learned which word was a conjugate of the other.
conjugate	conjugate_vrb	These two verbs conjugate similarly in Spanish.
conscript	conscript_nou	I started out as a simple conscript.
conscript	conscript_vrb	The attemped to conscript reluctant citizens.
console	console_nou	The gaming console offers a wide range of entertainment options.
console	console_vrb	I want to console the people who are worried.
consort	consort_nou	She is the consort of the king.
consort	consort_vrb	I don’t usually consort with that sort of person.
construct	construct_nou	Money is a social construct.
construct	construct_vrb	They plan to construct a new building downtown.
consummate	consummate_adj	She is a consummate professional in her field.
consummate	consummate_vrb	They planned to consummate the marriage.
content	content_adj-nou-vrb	I felt content with the result.
content	content_nou	She tried to create more content for her channel.
contest	contest_nou	I won the contest.
contest	contest_vrb	The decided to contest the decision.
contract	contract_nou	They signed a contract to seal the deal.
contract	contract_vrb	I don’t want to contract any diseases.
contrast	contrast_nou	The contrast between the two paintings is striking.
contrast	contrast_vrb	We’re going to compare and contrast the two films.
converse	converse_adj-nou	Let’s consider the converse proposition.
converse	converse_vrb	Let’s converse about something more uplifting.
convert	convert_nou	I was a new convert to the religion.
convert	convert_vrb	We need to convert the measurements into metric units.
convict	convict_nou	The convict swore he was innocent.
convict	convict_vrb	The jury voied to convict the man.
coordinate	coordinate_adj-nou	He charted the numbers on a coordinate plane.
coordinate	coordinate_vrb	The teams need to coordinate their efforts for success.
correlate	correlate_nou	The money was just a correlate of our success.
correlate	correlate_vrb	These two variables correlate positively.
decrease	decrease_nou	The decrease in temperature was noticeable overnight.
decrease	decrease_vrb	I tried to decrease the number of problems.
defect	defect_nou	There’s a defect in this product; we need to fix it.
defect	defect_vrb	She wanted to defect from the military.
degenerate	degenerate_nou	He worried he would become a degenerate.
degenerate	degenerate_vrb	The situation might degenerate into chaos.
delegate	delegate_nou	I was voted to become a delegate to the assembly.
delegate	delegate_vrb	He will delegate the task to someone else.
deliberate	deliberate_adj	It was a deliberate act of sabotage.
deliberate	deliberate_vrb	They will deliberate on the matter before making a decision.
desert	desert_nou	I visited the sahara desert.
desert	desert_vrb	Don’t desert your teammates!
deviate	deviate_nou	He was considered a deviate in the conservative society.
deviate	deviate_vrb	She tends to deviate from the main topic in conversations.
diagnoses	diagnoses_nou	The diagnoses were inconclusive, so more tests are needed.
diagnoses	diagnoses_vrb	The doctor diagnoses people as part of the job.
diffuse	diffuse_adj	There was a diffuse sense of mistrust.
diffuse	diffuse_vrb	The essential oils diffuse slowly throughout the room.
discard	discard_nou	Put it in the discard pile.
discard	discard_vrb	Please discard any expired items from the pantry.
discharge	discharge_nou	There was a fluid discharge valve in the machine.
discharge	discharge_vrb	The factory is required to discharge its waste responsibly.
discount	discount_nou	There’s a discount on all items in the store today.
discount	discount_vrb	I dont discount the possibility that we’re wrong.
document	document_nou	I misplaced the document.
document	document_vrb	Make sure to document all your expenses for reimbursement.
dove	dove_nou	A dove landed gracefully on the windowsill.
dove	dove_vrb	He dove from the side of the building.
duplicate	duplicate_adj-nou	The duplicate was not as good as the original.
duplicate	duplicate_vrb	Be careful not to duplicate your efforts unnecessarily.
elaborate	elaborate_adj	It was an elaborate ruse.
elaborate	elaborate_vrb	Please elaborate on your plans for the project.
entrance	entrance_nou	The grand entrance to the palace was breathtaking.
entrance	entrance_vrb	They entrance the audience with their performance.
escort	escort_nou	He were serving as my escort.
escort	escort_vrb	Please escort yourself from the room.
estimate	estimate_nou	Can you give me an estimate of how long it will take?
estimate	estimate_vrb	I was trying to estimate the damage.
excuse	excuse_nou	He had to come up with a believable excuse for his absence.
excuse	excuse_vrb	You history doesn’t excuse your behavior.
expatriate	expatriate_nou	An expatriate may find it challenging to adjust to a new culture.
expatriate	expatriate_vrb	He chose to expatriate to pursue better job opportunities.
exploit	exploit_nou	We found an exploit in the system.
exploit	exploit_vrb	They tried to exploit the natural resources of the region.
export	export_nou	Iron ore is their main export.
export	export_vrb	The country decided to export more goods to boost its economy.
expose	expose_nou	The journalist published the expose.
expose	expose_vrb	The journalist decided to expose the corruption in government.
extract	extract_nou	The vanilla extract made the cookies delicious.
extract	extract_vrb	They use a special technique to extract oil from the ground.
fragment	fragment_nou	The museum displayed a fragment of the ancient artifact.
fragment	fragment_vrb	The cohesion of the group started to fragment.
frequent	frequent_adj	He was a frequent visitor to the local library.
frequent	frequent_vrb	They frequent this pub increasing regularity.
graduate	graduate_adj-nou	The graduate student gave a presentation.
graduate	graduate_vrb	He was proud to finally graduate from university.
house	house_nou	They built a new house on the hilltop.
house	house_vrb	We try to house the poor.
impact	impact_nou	The impact of the crash was felt throughout the neighborhood.
impact	impact_vrb	The meteors impact the moon with some frequency.
implant	implant_nou	her body rejected the implant.
implant	implant_vrb	The dentist will implant a new tooth next week.
implement	implement_nou	He brandished a sharp implement.
implement	implement_vrb	They needed to implement new safety measures in the factory.
import	import_nou	Textiles are their major import.
import	import_vrb	The country needs to import more food to meet demand.
incense	incense_nou	The aroma of incense filled the room during the meditation session.
incense	incense_vrb	He didn’t mean to incense her with his comments.
incline	incline_nou	He started up the steep incline.
incline	incline_vrb	The road began to incline steeply as they approached the mountain.
increase	increase_nou	The fast increase in inflation was surprising.
increase	increase_vrb	They decided to increase the budget for the project.
increment	increment_nou	The increment in salary was a welcome surprise.
increment	increment_vrb	The tally of the participants began to increment upward.
initiate	initiate_nou	The initiate was still trying to learn the rules.
initiate	initiate_vrb	They wanted to initiate a new policy to improve workplace safety.
insert	insert_nou	There was a cardboard insert in the book.
insert	insert_vrb	Please insert your card into the ATM machine.
instrument	instrument_nou	The violin is a beautiful instrument.
instrument	instrument_vrb	He tried to instrument the coup.
insult	insult_nou	His words were an unintentional insult to her intelligence.
insult	insult_vrb	Please don’t insult my intelligence.
interchange	interchange_nou	The interchange between cultures enriched their understanding.
interchange	interchange_vrb	They decided to interchange their roles for the day.
intimate	intimate_adj	They shared an intimate moment by the fireplace.
intimate	intimate_vrb	I didn’t mean to intimate that you were incompetent.
intrigue	intrigue_nou	She couldn’t resist the intrigue of the mysterious package.
intrigue	intrigue_vrb	The accumulation of evidence started to intrigue me.
invalid	invalid_adj	The password you entered is invalid.
invalid	invalid_nou	That’s the ward for invalids.
invite	invite_nou	I already sent him an invite.
invite	invite_vrb	They decided to invite her to the party.
isolate	isolate_nou	Basque is a language isolate.
isolate	isolate	They needed to isolate the problem before it spread.
jesus	jesus	Many people believe in the teachings of Jesus.
jesus	jesus_es	Jesus Romero is my friend.
job	job_bible	He was afflicted like Job in the bible.
job	job	Finding a job in this economy is challenging.
laminate	laminate_nou	I laid down some new laminate flooring.
laminate	laminate_vrb	They chose to laminate the important documents for protection.
lead	lead_nou	The cast the statue in lead.
lead	lead_nou-vrb	He was chosen to lead the team to victory.
learned	learned_adj	I studied the learned tomes.
learned	learned_vrb	She learned to swim at the age of five.
live	live_adj	We are broadcasting live.
live	live_vrb	They decided to live in the countryside for a quieter life.
lives	lives_nou	My cat has more than nine lives.
lives	lives_vrb	He lives in the city while his brother lives in the suburbs.
minute	minute_adj	The minute details of the plan were crucial to its success.
minute	minute	Could you spare a minute?
misuse	misuse_nou	She felt hurt by the misuse of her trust.
misuse	misuse_vrb	He didn’t mean to misuse the company’s resources.
mobile	mobile	The mobile phone revolutionized communication.
mobile	mobile_geo	I live in Mobile, Alabama.
mobile	mobile_nou-art	The mobile dangled from the ceiling.
moderate	moderate_adj-nou	The forum serves as a moderate space for discussion.
moderate	moderate_vrb	They decided to moderate their spending habits.
moped	moped_nou	She rode her moped to work every day.
moped	moped_vrb	He moped around the house after his breakup.
mouth	mouth_nou	Please close your mouth while chewing.
mouth	mouth_vrb	She tried to mouth the answer to him from the audience.
nestle	nestle_nam	I like to eat Nestle Crunch bars.
nestle	nestle_vrb	The mother bird will nestle her chicks under her wing.
object	object_nou	The main object of the game is to collect all the gems.
object	object_vrb	Do you object to my presence here?
ornament	ornament_nou	She carefully hung each ornament on the tree.
ornament	ornament_vrb	I want to ornament the room festively.
overthrow	overthrow_nou	The overthrow of the government was peaceful.
overthrow	overthrow_vrb	The citizens staged a protest to overthrow the dictator.
pasty	pasty_adj	His pasty skin indicated that he was sick.
pasty	pasty_nou	She ate a pasty for lunch.
perfect	perfect_adj	The painting was a perfect likeness of the landscape.
perfect	perfect_vrb	I want to perfect my sales pitch.
perfume	perfume_nou	She wore her favorite perfume for the special occasion.
perfume	perfume_vrb	They often perfume the showroom to entice people to buy.
permit	permit_nou	You need a permit to park in this area.
permit	permit_vrb	We don’t permit smoking here.
pervert	pervert_nou	He was a known pervert who harassed women on the street.
pervert	pervert_vrb	The teacher caught the student trying to pervert the truth.
pigment	pigment_nou	The pigment in the paint faded over time.
pigment	pigment_vrb	She will pigment the canvas.
polish	polish_geo	I like Polish food.
polish	polish	He used a cloth to polish his shoes.
postulate	postulate_nou	The postulate was in dispute.
postulate	postulate_vrb	He couldn’t help but postulate about the future.
precipitate	precipitate_adj-nou	The chemist collected the precipitate from the beaker.
precipitate	precipitate_vrb	The dark clouds precipitate rain.
predicate	predicate_nou	The premise of the argument is the predicate of the conclusion.
predicate	predicate_vrb	We predicate our success on our hard work.
present	present_adj-nou	I gave my brother a present.
present	present_vrb	She wrapped the gift and prepared to present it.
produce	produce_nou	The produce section of the store was flooded.
produce	produce_vrb	Farmers work hard to produce crops every year.
progress	progress_nou	She made significant progress in her recovery.
progress	progress_vrb	I want to progress to a later stage in the game.
project	project_nou	The project was put on hold.
project	project_vrb	I project that we will turn a profit in two months.
protest	protest_nou	The workers staged a protest outside the factory gates.
protest	protest_vrb	The lady doth protest too much.
read	read_past	He read the letter with a furrowed brow.
read	read_present	She likes to read mystery novels in her free time.
rebel	rebel_nou	He was known as a rebel in his youth.
rebel	rebel_vrb	They will likely rebel against the ruling order.
record	record_nou	I showed him my record collection.
record	record_vrb	She made sure to record all her expenses in her budget.
recount	recount_nou	The decided to carry out a recount of the votes.
recount	recount_vrb	She decided to recount the events of the day to her friend.
refund	refund_nou	The store offered a refund for the defective product.
refund	refund_vrb	Please refund me my money.
refuse	refuse_nou	The refuse trailed behind them.
refuse	refuse_vrb	He would refuse to eat his vegetables as a child.
reject	reject_nou	I consider him a political reject.
reject	reject_vrb	The committee will reject any proposals that don’t meet the criteria.
rerelease	rerelease	The album is actually a rerelease.
rerelease	rerelease_vrb	The company plans to rerelease the classic film in theaters.
resume	resume_nou	I updated my resume.
resume	resume_vrb	After the break, he will resume his studies.
retard	retard_nou	The bully called me a retard.
retard	retard_vrb	The teacher didn’t want to retard the progress of her students.
rodeo	rodeo_geo	I went shopping on Rodeo Drive.
rodeo	rodeo	They attended the annual rodeo in their town.
row	row_one	I’m putting my ducks in a row.
row	row_two	The argument led to a full-on row.
sake	sake_jp	She drank sake for the first time at the Japanese restaurant.
sake	sake	He brought up the idea for the sake of argument.
separate	separate_adj	I have to separate sinks in my bathroom.
separate	separate_vrb	They decided to separate after years of marriage.
sow	sow_nou	The sow produced a large litter or pigs.
sow	sow	please don’t sow discord in this chatroom.
subject	subject_adj-nou	The professor taught a course on the subject of psychology.
subject	subject_vrb	I was subject to numerous experiments.
subordinate	subordinate_adj-nou	He was demoted to a subordinate position within the company.
subordinate	subordinate_vrb	I subordinate my desires in order to get work done.
supplement	supplement_nou	The doctor recommended taking a calcium supplement.
supplement	supplement_vrb	We should supplement our diet with more iron.
suspect	suspect_adj-nou	The suspect was interrogated.
suspect	suspect_vrb	They suspect foul play in the disappearance of the painting.
syndicate	syndicate_nou	The syndicate controlled most of the city’s underground activities.
syndicate	syndicate_vrb	If they syndicate our tv show, we’ll make millions.
tear	tear_nou	A tear rolled down the child’s cheek.
tear	tear_vrb	Tear down the wall.
transform	transform_nou	He used some sort of mathematical transform.
transform	transform	They hoped the therapy would transform his behavior.
transplant	transplant_nou	He received a kidney transplant from his sister.
transplant	transplant_vrb	They decided to transplant the flowers into larger pots.
transport	transport_nou	Public transport is pretty important.
transport	transport_vrb	They hired a company to transport their belongings to the new house.
upset	upset_nou	The team pulled off the upset.
upset	upset_vrb	She was upset by the news of her friend’s illness.
uses	uses_nou	The uses of this tool are varied and diverse.
uses	uses_vrb	She uses a lot of spices in her cooking.
use	use_nou	She couldn’t find a use for the old vase.
use	use_vrb	I use a computer for my job.
wind	wind_nou	The wind rustled through the trees on a breezy day.
wind	wind_vrb	Let me wind up this clock real quick.
winds	winds_nou	The winds of change blew through the community.
winds	winds_vrb	If she winds up the winner, i’ll be surprised.
wound	wound_nou-vrb	He received a wound to his arm during the accident.
wound	wound_vrb	They wound their way through the narrow streets of the old city.