paronomasia
/pæɹənɵˈmeɪzɪə/
paronomasia means A pun or play on words. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
paronomasia is pronounced /pæɹənɵˈmeɪzɪə/.
Why “paronomasia” is a great word
A rhetorical device involving a deliberate play on words that are similar in sound but different in meaning. Its name derives from Latin paronomasia, from Ancient Greek παρονομασία (paronomasía, 'play upon words which sound alike'), from παρα- (para-, 'beside') + ὀνομασία (onomasía, 'naming', from ὄνομα (ónoma, 'name')). Unlike the general 'pun,' a broad category of humorous wordplay, or 'antanaclasis,' which repeats the same word with shifting meanings, paronomasia is the formal exploitation of sonic kinship. It is the politician vowing to 'heal' while his policies 'heel' the electorate, the poet's melancholy echo where 'mourning' and 'morning' bleed into one, and the sly bakery sign declaring its 'loaf' to be its life's work—a fleeting, clever testament to language's inherent slippage and our quiet compulsion to trip over its fault lines.
Etymology
From Latin paronomasia, from Ancient Greek παρονομασία (paronomasía, “play upon words which sound alike”), from παρα- (para-) + ὀνομασία (onomasía, “naming”).
noun
- A pun or play on words.“Oh, by the way, any attempt to present me with any kind of testimonial will result in stern measures.
And when I say stern measures, I am indulging in a paronomasia, or play on words! Good night.”
- The use of puns.“Paronomasia to the sense alludes,
When words but little varied it includes.”