pen
/ˈpɛn/
nounverb
Common
1.n.a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
2.n.an enclosure for confining livestock
3.n.a portable enclosure in which babies may be left to play
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pen and penn are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. pen means “a writing implement with a point from which ink flows”. penn means “Englishman and Quaker who founded the colony of Pennsylvania (1644-1718)”. pen is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈpɛn/
1.n.a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
2.n.an enclosure for confining livestock
3.n.a portable enclosure in which babies may be left to play
/ˈpɛn/
| pen | penn | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈpɛn/ | /ˈpɛn/ |
| Said | pen | pen |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 3 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun |
| Senses | 6 | 2 |
| How common | Common | Familiar |
| Synonyms | none recorded | William Penn |
1.n.Englishman and Quaker who founded the colony of Pennsylvania (1644-1718)
2.n.a university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania