Read vs read

Photo of author

Grammarist

Read and read  are two words that are spelled identically but are pronounced differently and have different meanings, which makes them heteronyms. We will examine the definitions of the words read and read, where these words came from, and a few examples of their use in sentences.

Read (reed) means to look at printed symbols and interpret their meaning. The word read may be used figuratively to mean to discern the gist of a situation. Read may be used as a noun or a transitive verb, which is a verb that takes an object. Related words are reads, read, reading, reader. The word read is derived from the Old English word rÇ£dan, which means to advise, to guide, to explain.

Read (red) is the past tense of the verb, read.

Examples

And yet for reasons that include politics, partisanship and personal experience, most American children are taught to read in a way that study after study has found to be wrong. (The Economist)

Many teachers reported that online delivery reduced their ability to ‘read the room’. (Mirage News)

He is the direct descendant of John Taylor Gilman, who read the Declaration of Independence to the townspeople of Exeter on July 16, 1776. (Carriage Towne News)

She visited East Grand Forks schools, where she read books to students and told them about programs available at the library. (Grand Forks Herald)

Check out some others we covered: