air and tune share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. air means “a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of”. tune means “a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence”. air is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈɛɹ/
1.n.a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
“air pollution”
2.n.the region above the ground
“her hand stopped in mid air”
3.n.a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing
“an air of mystery”
/ˈtun/
1.n.a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
“she was humming an air from Beethoven”
2.n.the property of producing accurately a note of a given pitch
“he cannot sing in tune”
3.n.the adjustment of a radio receiver or other circuit to a required frequency
| air | tune | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛɹ/ | /ˈtun/ |
| Said | er | toon |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 3 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun, verb |
| Senses | 15 | 5 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | melody, air, strain |