Homonyms in Arabic

الجِناس التَّام

Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and pronunciation but don’t have the same meaning. In Arabic we call this set of words “كلمات الجِناس التَّام” “Al ginas al tam”. Al tam means “complete” because the letters of these words have to agree in number, order and their vocalization.

Here are some Arabic homonyms:

2 المَعْنَى الثَّاني	1 المَعْنَى الأوَّل	الكلمة
Water spring	Eye	عَيْن
Reminder, memo	Ticket	تَذْكِرة
Falling	Amateur	هَاوٍ
Next/ following	Reader	تالٍ
Factor	Worker	عَامِل
Qualified “هو أهْلٌ لِ”	Relatives/ family	أَهْل
Neighborhood	Alive	حَيّ
Napper “Someone who takes a nap”.	Teller	قَائِل
Desk	Office	مَكْتَب
Horn	Century	قَرْن
Mile “ unit of measurement”	Tendency	مَيْل
Date	History	تَارِيخ
Show	Offer	عَرْض
Cucumber	Choice, option	خِيَار
Envelop	Circumstance	ظَرْف
Friend, companion	Owner	صَاحِب
Gold	He went	ذَهَب
Morocco (country)	Sunset/one of the 5 prayers in Islam	المَغْرِب
Flat land, plain	Easy	سَهْل
Guide	Proof	دَلِيل
Great (plural) جَمْع عَظيم	Bones جَمْع عَظْمَة	عِظَام
Good manners	Literature	أَدَب
Liquid	Asker/ questioner	سَائِل
Package	Expulsion	طَرْد

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