More Trivia

[brogine]

Through assiduous shiftlessness, I have found a quadruple heteronym!
And it doesn’t involve Scottish English.
It will be revealed in a week or so. (I may need reminding.)

[Slava]

To, too, two, Tue.?

[brogine]

Sorry, old son. Abbreviations need not apply.
Anyway, those are homonyms.
Perusing my effluvia, though, I do see a few quad homonyms, although a couple exhibit scant respect for my strict principles on word games.
Actually, I didn’t know ‘heteronym’, and discovered it searching the OED for words ending -nym. I was surprised that there are about fifty!

[Slava]

Well, if the right person's pronouncing the words, do ate, eight, ait, and hate count?

[brogine]

Still homonyms. Heteronyms are - independently - tear, lead, bow, and the ever-popular cetera.

[brogine]

Enfin!
Well, all both of you waiting . . . (I’ve always been an optimist, and apologies to Louis Jordan, by the by) . . . counting British English, (or Old or Middle English, if you’re doing a reading), there are four ways to pronounce s-l-o-u-g-h.

To wit, depending on meaning, of course, it can rhyme with
rough
through
bough
though.

[Slava]

Can you give us an example of the 'through' usage? I can't come up with one that will help me slough off my slough of despond.

Did you come across this after watching Slow Horses on the telly?

[brogine]

Hi. Did you mean though? Because through is one of the two most obvious ones. Matter of fact, it’s the usual pronunciation of your second slough.
‘Slough’ was an alternate spelling of ‘slow’ in Middle English, and ‘slow’ is given as a secondary pronunciation of ‘slough’-cum-‘morass’ in U.S. English, and the single such in British.

[Slava]

I've always gone 'rough off my though' (for the rhyming equivalents). I don't think I've thought of 'rough off my threw/through'. Which is odd, given that slough has been to the Dr.'s office twice, and has the slew pronunciation right there. (Visit 1, Visit 2)

[brogine]

“Pronunciation: slu (US), slaw (UK)”

Interesting. ‘Slaw’ would a fifth way to pronounce.
Unfortunately, this is not supported by the OED.

Maybe - and I think anyone is susceptible to this - it’s a regional variation so familiar it’s thought of without question as standard.