# tern, turn

> English homophone group · 2 words that sound the same · /tɜːn/

These English words share one pronunciation but differ in spelling and meaning.

## The words

### tern
*/tɜːn/*
Any of various seabirds of the subfamily Sterninae (of the family Laridae) that are similar to gulls but are smaller and have a forked tail.

### turn
*/tɜːn/*
To make a non-linear physical movement.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA); groups derived from IPA pronunciation. Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/homophones/tern