homography (n.)

A term used in SEMANTIC analysis to refer to WORDS (i.e. LEXEMES) which have the same spelling but differ in MEANING. Homographs are a type of HOMONYMY. Homography is illustrated from such pairs as wind (sc. blowing) and wind (sc. a clock). When there is AMBIGUITY on account of this identity, a homographic clash or ‘conflict’ is said to have occurred.

The term homography is also used to refer to a type of orthography (a homographic system) where there is a one-to-one correspondence between symbols and sounds, as in a PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION, or the systematically devised alphabets of some languages. In this sense, it is opposed to heterography (a heterographic system), such as the spelling system of English, French, etc.