Definition

Referring to words that are derived from the same root or have similar forms, often leading to confusion in meaning or usage.

Example

The words 'affect' and 'effect' are paronymous, as they sound similar but have different meanings.

Conversation

Have you ever noticed how some words are paronymous in different languages?

Yeah, it's fascinating! Like how ‘actual’ in English means ‘real’ but in Spanish it means ‘current’.

Exactly! It's cool to see the connections even if they can be confusing sometimes.

Totally! I love learning those paronymous words—it makes studying languages so much more interesting.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Paronymous → It is formed from "para-" (meaning alongside or related) and "onymos" (from Greek "onuma", meaning name). The word describes words that are related in form or sound but differ in meaning, hence names that are alongside each other in some way.

Memory Tip

Think of words that are 'related' ('para-') in 'name' ('onymos') but have different meanings — that's what paronymous means.

Visually Confused Words