How to use this homograph list and chart
Persian usually leaves short vowels unwritten. That can make two different readings look identical, as with گُل, gol, flower, andگِل, gel, mud. Other words keep the same sound as well as the same spelling, so only meaning separates them. Use the searchable list to find a spelling, then read each row like a comparison chart: marked form, pronunciation, meaning, example, and the context clue that changes the answer.
Three kinds of ambiguity appear here
The short vowel or syllable pattern changes, so the unmarked spelling can hide two different pronunciations.
The same letters may be a noun in one sentence and a verb or command in another.
Neither marks nor audio separate the meanings. Vocabulary and sentence context have to do the work.
Found one in a real sentence?
Let VowelMarks settle the reading in context.
Paste the full sentence once. VowelMarks can restore contextual short vowels and Ezafe, map the pronunciation in Pinglish, speak the line naturally, translate it, explain why the reading fits, and turn the same passage into practice.
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Start with a spelling or a type of ambiguity
56 entries shown
Different reading
گل
gol or gel?
The missing short vowel separates something growing in a garden from wet earth.
گُل
golflower
این گُل از باغِ ماست.
This flower is from our garden.
گِل
gelmud or clay
کَفشها پُر از گِل بود.
The shoes were full of mud.
Gardens, colors, scent, and blooming favor flower. Rain, soil, shoes, and pottery favor mud or clay.
Grammar changes the answer
مرد
mard or mord?
One reading is a noun. The other is the past tense of dying.
مَرد
mardman
آن مَرد مُعَلِّم اَست.
That man is a teacher.
مُرد
morddied
ماهی مُرد.
The fish died.
A person described or acting in the sentence favors man. A subject followed by a completed event favors died.
Different reading
شکر
shekar or shokr?
A familiar kitchen word and a word of gratitude share the same ordinary spelling.
شِکَر
shekarsugar
کَمی شِکَر دَر چای ریخت.
He or she poured a little sugar into the tea.
شُکر
shokrgratitude or thanks
خُدا را شُکر.
Thank God.
Tea, sweets, and measuring favor sugar. Thanking, blessings, and خدا favor gratitude.
Different reading
علم
elm or alam?
The same consonants can refer to knowledge or to a raised standard.
عِلم
elmknowledge or science
عِلم بِه پُرسِش نیاز دارَد.
Science needs questions.
عَلَم
alamflag or standard
عَلَم را بالا بُردَند.
They raised the standard.
Study, evidence, and knowledge favor science. Carrying, raising, ceremonies, and banners favor flag or standard.
Different reading
عالم
ālam or ālem?
The middle vowel distinguishes the world from a learned person.
عالَم
ālamworld or universe
دَر این عالَم چیزهایِ عَجیبی هَست.
There are strange things in this world.
عالِم
ālemlearned person or scholar
او عالِمِ بُزُرگی بود.
He was a great scholar.
Existence, the universe, and life favor world. A person with knowledge, often followed by a field or description, favors learned or scholar.
Different reading
سحر
sahar or sehr?
Dawn and magic are written alike when the short vowels disappear.
سَحَر
sahardawn
سَحَر اَز خواب بیدار شُدَم.
I woke up at dawn.
سِحر
sehrmagic or sorcery
داستان دَربارِهٔ سِحر بود.
The story was about magic.
Waking, morning light, and early prayer favor dawn. Spells, stories, and supernatural events favor magic.
Different reading
کرم
kerm or kerem or karam?
This spelling supports three useful modern readings and several rarer ones.
کِرم
kermworm
کِرم دَر خاک بود.
The worm was in the soil.
کِرِم
keremcream or lotion
کِرِم را رویِ پوست بِزَن.
Apply the cream to the skin.
کَرَم
karamgenerosity
او بِه کَرَم مَشهور بود.
He was known for generosity.
Soil and insects favor worm. Skin and medicine favor cream. Character, giving, and praise favor generosity.
Different reading
ملک
malek or melk or molk or malak?
Four established readings can point to a ruler, property, a realm, or an angel.
مَلِک
malekking
مَلِک فَرمان داد.
The king gave an order.
مِلک
melkproperty or estate
این مِلک فُروشی اَست.
This property is for sale.
مُلک
molkrealm or dominion
مُلک پَهناوَر بود.
The realm was vast.
مَلَک
malakangel
دَر شِعر اَز مَلَک گُفت.
The poem spoke of an angel.
Commands and royal titles favor king. Sale and ownership favor property. Territory and rule favor realm. Religious or literary context can favor angel.
Different reading
قسم
ghasam or ghesm?
An oath and a part or kind become identical in unmarked text.
قَسَم
ghasamoath
قَسَم خورد کِه بَرگَردَد.
He or she swore to return.
قِسم
ghesmpart, portion, or kind
این قِسم را جُدا کُنید.
Separate this part.
Swearing, promises, and خوردن favor oath. Dividing, classifying, and referring to one section favor part or kind.
Different reading
عرق
aragh or ergh?
A common physical noun and a formal word for lineage share their letters.
عَرَق
araghsweat; also a distilled spirit in other contexts
عَرَق رویِ پیشانیاَش نِشَست.
Sweat formed on his or her forehead.
عِرق
erghlineage, origin, or root
بِه عِرقِ خانوادِگی اِشارِه کَرد.
He or she referred to family lineage.
Heat, exercise, and the body favor sweat. Ancestry, roots, and family history favor lineage.
Different reading
مهر
mehr or mohr or mahr?
Affection, a stamp, and a marriage gift can all appear as مهر.
مِهر
mehrlove or affection
با مِهر با او حَرف زَد.
He or she spoke to them with affection.
مُهر
mohrseal or stamp
مُهر را پایِ نامِه زَد.
He or she stamped the letter.
مَهر
mahrmarriage gift or dowry
مَهر دَر عَقدنامِه نِوِشتِه شُد.
The mahr was written in the marriage contract.
Kindness and friendship favor affection. Documents and impressions favor seal. Marriage contracts favor mahr or dowry.
Different reading
دور
dur or dowr?
A long vowel means far away. A diphthong means a round, cycle, or period.
دُور
durfar or away
خانِه خِیلی دُور اَست.
The house is very far away.
دَوْر
dowrround, cycle, or period
این دَوْر کوتاه بود.
This round was short.
Distance and location favor far. Repetition, competition, history, and stages favor round, cycle, or period.
Different reading
سیر
sir or seyr?
The spelling combines a sound contrast with two same-sounding everyday meanings.
سیر
sirgarlic
سیر را خُرد کُن.
Chop the garlic.
سیر
sirfull or satiated
بَعد اَز شام سیر شُدَم.
I became full after dinner.
سِیْر
seyrcourse, movement, or journey
سِیْرِ داستان آرام بود.
The course of the story was slow.
Food preparation favors garlic. Finishing a meal favors full. Movement, progress, and a narrative favor course or journey.
Different reading
پر
por or par?
One short vowel fills a container. Another gives a bird its feather or wing.
پُر
porfull
لیوان پُر اَست.
The glass is full.
پَر
parfeather or wing
پَرِ پَرَندِه رویِ زَمین اُفتاد.
The bird's feather fell to the ground.
Containers, rooms, and quantities favor full. Birds, flight, and loose strands favor feather or wing.
Grammar changes the answer
ده
dah or deh?
The spelling can be a number, a village, or the command form of give.
دَه
dahten
دَه دَقیقِه صَبر کُن.
Wait ten minutes.
دِه
dehvillage
آن دِه کوچَک بود.
That village was small.
دِه
dehgive, as a command
کِتاب را بِه مَن دِه.
Give me the book.
Counting favors ten. Places and rural descriptions favor village. An object and a recipient favor the imperative give.
Different reading
خلق
khalq or kholq?
Creation or people can be separated from temperament by one short vowel.
خَلق
khalqcreation; also people
خَلقِ یِک اَثَر زَمان میبَرَد.
Creating a work takes time.
خُلق
kholqtemperament or character
خُلقِ آرامی داشت.
He or she had a calm temperament.
Making and people favor khalq. Character, mood, and behavior favor kholq.
Different reading
نفس
nafas or nafs?
An extra syllable distinguishes breathing from the self or soul.
نَفَس
nafasbreath
نَفَسِ عَمیقی کِشید.
He or she took a deep breath.
نَفْس
nafsself or soul
دَر این مَتن، نَفْس بِه مَعنایِ خود اَست.
In this text, nafs means the self.
Lungs, exertion, and inhaling favor breath. Philosophy, psychology, and spiritual writing favor self or soul.
Different reading
بعد
ba'd or bo'd?
A familiar time word and a geometric dimension look identical without marks.
بَعد
ba'dafter, then, or next
بَعد اَز کِلاس آمَد.
He or she came after class.
بُعد
bo'ddimension
این شَکل سِه بُعد دارَد.
This shape has three dimensions.
Time and sequence favor after or next. Geometry, space, and measurements favor dimension.
Different reading
قطر
ghotr or Ghatar?
A geometry term and the country Qatar share one spelling in Persian.
قُطر
ghotrdiameter
قُطرِ دایِرِه را پِیدا کُنید.
Find the diameter of the circle.
قَطَر
GhatarQatar
قَطَر میزبان بود.
Qatar was the host.
Circles and measurements favor diameter. Travel, geography, sports, and government favor Qatar.
Different reading
مفصل
mafsel or mofassal?
A joint in the body and a detailed account use the same unmarked letters.
مَفصِل
mafseljoint
مَفصِلِ زانویَش دَرد میکَرد.
His or her knee joint hurt.
مُفَصَّل
mofassaldetailed or comprehensive
گُزارِش مُفَصَّل بود.
The report was detailed.
Anatomy, pain, and movement favor joint. Reports, explanations, and length favor detailed.
Different reading
مسکن
maskan or mosakken?
Housing and a painkiller are distinct words once the vowels and consonant length appear.
مَسکَن
maskandwelling or housing
مَسکَنِ مُناسِبی پِیدا کَرد.
He or she found suitable housing.
مُسَکِّن
mosakkenpainkiller
یِک مُسَکِّن خورد.
He or she took a painkiller.
Homes, rent, and residence favor housing. Pain, medicine, and dosage favor painkiller.
Different reading
محرم
mahram or moharram?
A close, trusted person and the month of Muharram share their written skeleton.
مَحرَم
mahramclose family member or confidant
او مَحرَمِ رازِ مَن بود.
He or she was the confidant of my secret.
مُحَرَّم
moharramMuharram
مُحَرَّم ماهِ اَوَّلِ تَقویمِ قَمَری اَست.
Muharram is the first month of the lunar calendar.
Family relationships and confidential matters favor mahram. Calendars, ceremonies, and the lunar year favor Muharram.
Grammar changes the answer
کرد
kord or kard?
A people and language name is written like the past stem of do.
کُرد
kordKurd
او کُرد اَست.
He or she is Kurdish.
کَرد
karddid
او این کار را کَرد.
He or she did this work.
Identity, language, and regions favor Kurd. A subject plus an action or direct object favors did.
Same sound, different sense
شیر
shir?
In contemporary Iranian Persian, vowel marks do not separate these common senses.
شیر
shirmilk
شیر را نوشید.
He or she drank the milk.
شیر
shirlion
شیر دَر جَنگَل بود.
The lion was in the forest.
شیر
shirfaucet or valve
شیرِ آب چِکِّه میکُنَد.
The water faucet is leaking.
Drinking and food favor milk. Animals and the zoo favor lion. Water, pipes, and leaking favor faucet.
Same sound, different sense
در
dar?
A very common preposition and the noun door share both spelling and ordinary pronunciation.
دَر
darin or at
دَر خانِه مانْدَم.
I stayed at home.
دَر
dardoor
دَر را باز کُن.
Open the door.
A following place or time phrase favors in or at. Opening, closing, handles, and rooms favor door.
Same sound, different sense
تار
tār?
The same sound can describe darkness, a strand, or a Persian musical instrument. The adjective meaning dark is more literary than everyday تاریک.
تار
tārdark or dim
اُتاق تار بود.
The room was dark.
تار
tārstrand or string
یِک تارِ مو رویِ لِباس بود.
A strand of hair was on the clothing.
تار
tārtar, the musical instrument
تار یِک سازِ ایرانی اَست.
The tar is an Iranian instrument.
Light and visibility favor dark. Hair and thread favor strand. Music and playing favor the tar instrument.
Same sound, different sense
گاز
gāz?
Gas, a bite, and gauze can be identical in spelling and everyday pronunciation.
گاز
gāzgas
گاز قَطع شُد.
The gas was cut off.
گاز
gāzbite
سَگ او را گاز گِرِفت.
The dog bit him or her.
گاز
gāzgauze
گازِ اِستِریل آوردَند.
They brought sterile gauze.
Fuel and utilities favor gas. Teeth and animals favor bite. Bandages and clinics favor gauze.
Same sound, different sense
بار
bār?
A single common form covers a load, an occasion, fruit, and several specialized senses.
بار
bārload or cargo
بارِ کامیون سَنگین بود.
The truck's load was heavy.
بار
bārtime or occasion
این بار زود رِسید.
This time he or she arrived early.
بار
bārfruit or yield
دِرَخت بار داد.
The tree bore fruit.
Vehicles and weight favor load. این and counting favor time or occasion. Trees and harvests favor fruit or bearing fruit.
Grammar changes the answer
ببر
babr or bebar?
A tiger and the command to take something become identical when short vowels are absent.
بَبْر
babrtiger
بَبْر دَر سایِه خوابیدِه بود.
The tiger was sleeping in the shade.
بِبَر
bebartake or carry, as a command
این کِتاب را با خودَت بِبَر.
Take this book with you.
Wildlife and forests favor tiger. A direct object, destination, or command favors take it or carry it.
Different reading
جرم
jorm or jerm?
Law and physics give the same written form two different short vowels.
جُرْم
jormcrime or offense
مُجازاتِ این جُرْم سَنگین اَست.
The punishment for this crime is severe.
جِرْم
jermmass
جِرْمِ این جِسْم را اَندازِه گِرِفتَند.
They measured the mass of this object.
Police, courts, and punishment favor crime. Weight, matter, and physics favor mass.
Different reading
خرد
kherad or khord?
A literary word for wisdom and an everyday adjective meaning small share the same letters.
خِرَد
kheradwisdom or intellect
خِرَد دَر این تَصمیم نَقش داشت.
Wisdom played a role in this decision.
خُرْد
khordsmall, minor, or change
پولِ خُرْد هَمراهَم نَبود.
I did not have any small change with me.
Thought, judgment, and philosophy favor wisdom. Size, coins, and retail quantities favor small or minor.
Different reading
دین
din or deyn?
Religion and debt are separate words even though ordinary Persian writes them alike.
دین
dinreligion or faith
او دَربارِهٔ تاریخِ دین مینِویسَد.
He or she writes about the history of religion.
دِیْن
deyndebt
دِیْنِ خود را پَرداخت کَرد.
He or she paid the debt.
Faith, belief, and worship favor religion. Money, repayment, and obligation favor debt.
Different reading
رحم
rahm or rahem?
Mercy and the anatomical word womb differ in syllable structure as well as meaning.
رَحْم
rahmmercy or pity
بِه او رَحْم کَردَند.
They showed him or her mercy.
رَحِم
rahemwomb or uterus
پِزِشک رَحِم را مُعایِنِه کَرد.
The doctor examined the uterus.
Forgiveness, pity, and kindness favor mercy. Pregnancy, anatomy, and medicine favor womb.
Different reading
سمت
samt or semat?
Direction and an official position are often pronounced differently in careful speech.
سَمْت
samtdirection or side
بِه سَمْتِ ایستگاه رَفتیم.
We went toward the station.
سِمَت
sematposition, post, or office
او اَز سِمَتِ خود کِنارِهگیری کَرد.
He or she resigned from the position.
Movement, geography, and pointing favor direction. Employment, appointment, and an organization favor position or office.
Different reading
شش
shesh or shosh?
The number six and the organ lung differ only in the short vowel a reader supplies.
شِش
sheshsix
شِش نَفَر بِه کِلاس آمَدَند.
Six people came to class.
شُش
shoshlung
دود بِه شُش آسیب میرَسانَد.
Smoke damages the lungs.
Counting favors six. Breathing, medicine, and the chest favor lung.
Grammar changes the answer
شوید
shevid or shavid or shuyad?
A herb, a form of becoming, and a form of washing can all appear as شوید.
شِوید
sheviddill
شِویدِ تازِه را بِه سوپ اَضافِه کُن.
Add fresh dill to the soup.
شَوید
shavidyou become, in formal or plural address
مُمکِن اَست خَستِه شَوید.
You may become tired.
شُویَد
shuyadhe or she washes
او هَر روز لِباسها را میشُویَد.
He or she washes the clothes every day.
Cooking favors dill. شدن and a plural or polite subject favor become. دست, آب, and washing favor washes.
Different reading
صفر
sefr or Safar?
Zero and the Islamic month Safar use the same consonants but not the same vowels.
صِفْر
sefrzero
دَما بِه صِفْر دَرَجِه رِسید.
The temperature reached zero degrees.
صَفَر
SafarSafar, the second Islamic month
این مَراسِم دَر ماهِ صَفَر بَرگُزار میشَوَد.
This ceremony is held in the month of Safar.
Numbers, scores, and mathematics favor zero. A lunar date or religious calendar favors Safar.
Different reading
طبق
tabaq or tebq?
A serving tray and the formal expression according to are distinct readings.
طَبَق
tabaqtray or large dish
طَبَقِ میوِه را رویِ میز گُذاشت.
He or she put the fruit tray on the table.
طِبْق
tebqaccording to or in conformity with
طِبْقِ بَرنامِه حَرَکَت کَردیم.
We proceeded according to the plan.
Food, dishes, and carrying favor tray. Rules, reports, and a following noun favor according to.
Different reading
عرضه
arze or orze?
Supply or presentation contrasts with the colloquial sense of ability or nerve.
عَرْضِه
arzesupply, offering, or presentation
عَرْضِهٔ این مَحصول اَز فَردا شُروع میشَوَد.
The release of this product begins tomorrow.
عُرْضِه
orzeability, competence, or nerve
عُرْضِهٔ اَنجامِ این کار را دارد.
He or she has the ability to do this work.
Markets, products, and presenting work favor supply or presentation. توان and criticism of someone's ability favor competence.
Different reading
عود
ud or owd?
The oud instrument and the formal noun for a return or recurrence can share this spelling.
عود
udoud or lute; also agarwood incense
او عود مینَوازَد.
He or she plays the oud.
عَوْد
owdreturn or recurrence
پِزِشک اَز عَوْدِ بیماری نِگَران بود.
The doctor was concerned about a recurrence of the illness.
Music, strings, and playing favor the oud. Illness, symptoms, and returning conditions favor recurrence.
Different reading
فوت
fowt or fut?
A formal word for death and the borrowed unit foot are written with the same letters.
فَوْت
fowtdeath or passing away
خَبَرِ فَوْتِ او را شِنیدیم.
We heard the news of his or her passing.
فوت
futfoot, the unit of measurement
عُمقِ آب دَه فوت بود.
The water was ten feet deep.
News, condolences, and a person favor death. Height, length, and measurement favor foot.
Different reading
قدم
ghadam or ghedam?
An everyday step and the philosophical idea of pre-eternity differ in their first vowel.
قَدَم
ghadamstep or foot
چَند قَدَم جِلو رَفت.
He or she went a few steps forward.
قِدَم
ghedampre-eternity or antiquity
بَحث دَربارِهٔ حُدوث و قِدَمِ جَهان بود.
The discussion concerned the creation and pre-eternity of the world.
Walking, distance, and arriving favor step. Philosophy, theology, and حدوث favor pre-eternity or antiquity.
Different reading
قمری
ghamari or ghomri?
A lunar adjective and the name of a dove are separated by the first short vowel.
قَمَری
ghamarilunar
تَقویمِ قَمَری بَر پایِهٔ ماه اَست.
The lunar calendar is based on the moon.
قُمری
ghomridove or laughing dove
قُمری رویِ شاخِه نِشَست.
The dove perched on the branch.
Calendars, months, and dates favor lunar. Birds, trees, and cooing favor dove.
Different reading
مثل
mesl or masal?
The common comparison word like and the noun proverb are distinct readings.
مِثْل
mesllike or similar to
او مِثْلِ پِدَرَش صُحبَت میکُنَد.
He speaks like his father.
مَثَل
masalproverb, parable, or example
این مَثَل را اَز مادَربُزُرگَم شِنیدَم.
I heard this proverb from my grandmother.
A comparison between two things favors like. Sayings, stories, and wisdom favor proverb or example.
Different reading
مجاز
majāz or mojāz?
A literary figure and the adjective permitted use the same unmarked spelling.
مَجاز
majāzfigurative language or metaphorical usage
این واژِه دَر شِعر بِه مَجاز بِه کار رَفتِه اَست.
This word is used figuratively in the poem.
مُجاز
mojāzpermitted or authorized
وُرود بِه این بَخش فَقَط با کارت مُجاز اَست.
Entry to this section is permitted only with a card.
Poetry, rhetoric, and literal meaning favor figurative language. Rules, permission, and entry favor permitted or authorized.
Different reading
مسلم
mosallam or moslem?
A word meaning certain and a formal noun for a Muslim differ in stress and internal vowels.
مُسَلَّم
mosallamcertain or indisputable
این نُکتِه مُسَلَّم اَست.
This point is indisputable.
مُسْلِم
moslemMuslim
او نِویسَندِهای مُسْلِم بود.
He or she was a Muslim writer.
Evidence, certainty, and facts favor indisputable. Religion or a person identified by faith favors Muslim.
Different reading
مصر
Mesr or moserr?
The country Egypt and the adjective insistent are distinguished by their vowels and final consonant length.
مِصْر
MesrEgypt
او یِک سال دَر مِصْر زِندِگی کَرد.
He or she lived in Egypt for a year.
مُصِرّ
moserrinsistent or persistent
او بَر رَفتَن مُصِرّ بود.
He or she insisted on leaving.
Cairo, travel, and geography favor Egypt. Repetition, refusal to give up, and بَر favor insistent.
Different reading
معبر
ma'bar or mo'abber?
A passage or crossing and a person who interprets dreams share the same letters.
مَعْبَر
ma'barcrossing, passage, or route
این مَعْبَر دَر زِمِستان بَستِه اَست.
This crossing is closed in winter.
مُعَبِّر
mo'abberinterpreter, especially of dreams
مُعَبِّر خوابِ او را تَعبیر کَرد.
The interpreter explained his or her dream.
Roads, borders, and movement favor crossing. Dreams and interpretation favor interpreter.
Different reading
معین
mo'ayyan or mo'in?
Specified and helper are separate Arabic-derived readings; Moein is also a familiar personal name.
مُعَیَّن
mo'ayyanspecified, fixed, or determined
پاسُخ را دَر زَمانِ مُعَیَّن بِفِرِستید.
Send the answer at the specified time.
مُعین
mo'inhelper or supporter; also the name Moein
او مُعینِ گُروه دَر این کار بود.
He or she was the group's helper in this work.
Dates, amounts, and setting terms favor specified. Assistance, support, or a personal name favors mo'in.
Grammar changes the answer
نبرد
nabard or nabord?
A battle and the negative past form did not take are identical without vowels.
نَبَرْد
nabardbattle or combat
نَبَرْد سِه روز طول کِشید.
The battle lasted three days.
نَبُرْد
naborddid not take or carry
او کِتاب را با خود نَبُرْد.
He or she did not take the book along.
Armies, fighting, and history favor battle. A subject, object, and completed action favor did not take.
Different reading
نصاب
nesāb or nassāb?
A legal threshold or quorum and an installer are different words once consonant length is shown.
نِصاب
nesābquorum, threshold, or required minimum
جَلسِه بِه نِصاب نَرِسید.
The meeting did not reach quorum.
نَصّاب
nassābinstaller
نَصّاب دَستگاه را راه اَنداخت.
The installer set up the device.
Votes, meetings, and minimum requirements favor quorum or threshold. Equipment, doors, and software favor installer.
Different reading
نقل
naql or noql?
Quotation or transport contrasts with the sugared confection served at celebrations.
نَقْل
naqlquotation, narration, or transport
این نَقْل اَز یِک مَنبَعِ قَدیمی اَست.
This quotation comes from an old source.
نُقْل
noqlsugar-coated almond or confection
دَر عَروسی نُقْل پَخش کَردَند.
They handed out sugared almonds at the wedding.
Sources, speech, and moving goods favor quotation or transport. Weddings, sweets, and almonds favor the confection.
Different reading
پست
past or post?
Low or base and post, mail, or an official position differ in the first vowel.
پَسْت
pastlow, base, or inferior
صِدا اَز نُقطِهای پَسْت میآمَد.
The sound comes from a low point.
پُسْت
postpost, mail, or position
بَستِه را با پُسْت فِرِستادَم.
I sent the package by post.
Height, rank, and character favor low or base. Letters, delivery, work, and appointment favor post.
Different reading
اعمال
a'māl or e'māl?
Deeds and the act of applying or enforcing something begin with different vowels.
اَعمال
a'māldeeds or actions
اَعمالِ او با حَرفهایَش هَماهِنگ نَبود.
His or her actions did not match the words.
اِعمال
e'mālapplication, imposition, or enforcement
قانون اَز فَردا اِعمال میشَوَد.
The law will be enforced beginning tomorrow.
Behavior, morality, and records of what people did favor deeds. Rules, pressure, and policy favor application or enforcement.
Different reading
اشراف
ashrāf or eshrāf?
Aristocrats and supervision or command of a subject are separate readings.
اَشْراف
ashrāfaristocrats or nobles
اَشْراف دَر آن دَورِه زَمینهایِ بُزُرگی داشتَند.
The aristocrats owned large estates in that period.
اِشْراف
eshrāfsupervision, oversight, or command
او بَر جُزئیاتِ پِروژِه اِشْراف داشت.
He or she had command of the project's details.
Class, nobility, and history favor aristocrats. Management, monitoring, and داشتن بَر favor supervision or command.
Different reading
حسن
Hasan or hosn?
The familiar name Hasan and the formal noun merit or beauty are pronounced differently.
حَسَن
HasanHasan, a personal name
حَسَن دیروز بِه دیدَنِ ما آمَد.
Hasan came to see us yesterday.
حُسْن
hosnmerit, goodness, or beauty
حُسْنِ این طَرح سادِگیِ آن اَست.
The merit of this plan is its simplicity.
A person, family name, or biographical sentence favors Hasan. مزیت, نیت, beauty, and formal evaluation favor merit or goodness.
No Atlas entry matches that search and filter.
How the Atlas was assembled
This is an editorial reference, not a raw dataset dumped onto a page. Candidate spellings came from Persian homograph research, the sentence-level HomoRich dataset, VowelMarks evaluation material, and the Kaikki machine-readable Persian dictionary extracted from Wiktionary. A candidate stayed only when its useful readings or senses could be checked and its context clue could be explained without inventing certainty.
- Verify the contrast.Check that the same ordinary Persian spelling genuinely supports the listed readings or senses.
- Prefer teachable context.Keep entries whose grammar, topic, nearby vocabulary, or familiar phrase gives the reader a usable clue.
- Write fresh examples.The sentences on this page were composed for the Atlas. They are not copied from HomoRich or dictionary examples.
- Name the variety.The learner-facing romanization primarily follows contemporary Iranian Persian. Other Persian varieties may preserve different contrasts.
- Make contrasts easy to compare.The entries live together so readers can search one spelling, compare patterns, and move between everyday and specialized examples.
The romanization is deliberately readable rather than a claim to follow ISO 233-3, ALA-LC, or another reversible standard. See the guide to Pinglish, romanization, transliteration, and transcription for the difference.
How to use an entry for practice
- Cover the marked readings and read one example sentence.
- Choose the meaning and pronunciation before revealing the answer.
- Name the exact clue that changed your decision.
- Read the ordinary unmarked spelling again inside the sentence.
- Return later with a different context for the same spelling.
The companion Persian homographs guide explains the terminology and reading method. The guide to pronouncing Persian words without written vowels gives a step-by-step process for a new word that is not yet in the Atlas.
Frequently asked questions
Why can one Persian word have several pronunciations?
Ordinary Persian usually omits the short vowels a, e, and o. Different words can therefore leave the same visible consonants and long-vowel letters on the page. Grammar and sentence meaning select the intended reading.
Can Persian vowel marks resolve every ambiguous spelling?
No. Marks can distinguish readings such as گُل and گِل, but they cannot separate senses that share the same spelling and pronunciation, such as شیر for milk, lion, or faucet.
How were the words in this Persian Ambiguity Atlas selected?
Candidate spellings came from Persian homograph research, the HomoRich dataset, VowelMarks evaluation material, and dictionary data. Entries were kept when the readings or senses could be checked and the context clue could be explained with an original example.
Is this a complete list of Persian homographs?
No. It is a curated teaching reference, not an exhaustive lexicon. Persian contains more ambiguous spellings, proper names, literary readings, regional forms, and specialized terms than one useful page should try to list.
Which variety of Persian does the Atlas use?
The learner-facing pronunciations and examples primarily follow contemporary Iranian Persian. Dari, Tajiki, regional speech, formal recitation, and historical texts can preserve different distinctions.
Sources and data provenance
- University of Texas at Austin, “The Writing System”. Used for the description of ordinary Persian writing and the normal omission of short-vowel diacritics.
- Ayyoubzadeh and Shahnazari, “Persian Homograph Disambiguation: Leveraging ParsBERT for Enhanced Sentence Understanding with a Novel Word Disambiguation Dataset”. Used for the computational definition of Persian homograph disambiguation and the importance of sentence context.
- Qharabagh, Dehghanian, and Rabiee, “Fast, Not Fancy: Rethinking G2P with Rich Data and Statistical Models”. Used for the HomoRich methodology and the relationship between homograph-rich data and Persian pronunciation systems.
- HomoRich-G2P-Persian dataset card. Used to inspect the dataset fields, scale, source labels, license, and sentence-level pronunciation candidates. Its sentences were not copied into the Atlas.
- Kaikki Persian dictionary. Used as a machine-readable lexical check for pronunciations, parts of speech, and English glosses. Kaikki states that its Persian data is extracted from English Wiktionary with Wiktextract and post-processed.
- Kaikki raw-data documentation. Used to document the Wiktionary extraction source, update process, and machine-readable data provenance.