heteronym.

1. A word sharing its spelling with another word but differing in pronunciation and meaning.

2. An invented authorial identity with its own attributed character or style.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• a familiar heteronym
• heteronym pronunciation

On the page

The reader missed the heteronym until the sentence was spoken aloud.

Her annotation explained the heteronym’s two pronunciations.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary. Forms: Singular heteronym; plural heteronyms. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.