“Earn” or “Erne” or “Urn”

Overview

earn / erne / urn are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term. 👇

Definitions

earn: (verb) acquire or deserve by one's efforts or actions.

erne: NA

urn: (noun) a large vase that usually has a pedestal or feet. (noun) a large pot for making coffee or tea.

Pronunciation

earn: ER·n

erne: ER·n

urn: ER·n

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Examples in Context

Examples of “earn”

To earn extra income Hilliard worked part-time…
…her religious ballad sheets to earn her living.
…to 10, a student must earn 4 units of credit.
…scored with his head to earn his side a point against…
…first high school program to earn accreditation from the American Mountain…
To graduate, students must earn 19 academic credits, including a…
…win the game 91–63 to earn a spot in the gold-medal…
…time are often required to earn approximately 140-150 credits to receive…
…and the only horse to earn a million dollars in Puerto…
…other states, others join to earn some money before moving onto…

Examples of “erne”

…a canal to connect Lough Erne with Lough Neagh.

Examples of “urn”

…holds her husband Alfred's cinerary urn.
…invented the afrinagan (the metal urn in which a sacred fire…
…a free "Oedipus Rex ashes urn" as a promotional offer after…
…the body lays in an urn and the site still reads…
…use of a metal vase-like urn to transport fire.
…1819–1863 are more neoclassical, with urn and willow motifs including not…
…seems to be a funerary urn, with only ashes inside it.
…to be cremated, but no urn was prepared for him and…
…poem, "Ode on a Grecian Urn".
…were placed into a ceramic urn in front of an altar.

(Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions drawn from WordNet.)

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