root and route are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. root means “(botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground”. route means “send documents or materials to appropriate destinations”.
/ˈɹut/
1.n.(botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground
2.n.the place where something begins, where it springs into being
“the Italian beginning of the Renaissance”
3.n.(linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed
“thematic vowels are part of the stem”
/ˈɹut/
| root | route | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹut/ | /ˈɹut/ |
| Said | root | root |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 4 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 15 | 5 |
| How common | Common | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | none recorded |
Full entry for root · Full entry for route · More comparisons
1.v.send documents or materials to appropriate destinations
2.v.send via a specific route
3.v.divert in a specified direction
“divert the low voltage to the engine cylinders”