“Pause” or “Paws”—Which to use?

“Pause” or “Paws”

Overview

pause / paws 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

pause: (noun) a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something. (noun) temporary inactivity. (verb) cease an action temporarily.

paws: (noun) a clawed foot of an animal especially a quadruped. (verb) scrape with the paws. (verb) touch clumsily.

Pronunciation

pause: p·AO·z

paws: p·AO·z

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Examples in Context

Examples of “pause”

…and the inclusion of a pause button.
"The Pause", by Isaac Asimov
…stop, which indicates a short pause to separate syllables.
During a pause in the battle he recounts…
…from the internal speaker, P (pause) to pause the game, and…
…appear sporadically, which will temporarily pause the timer to allow the…
…the bridge, turned around without pause and drove straight back into
Rebel Without a Pause (2017)
…a series of moves without pause for breath, Beyoncé and her…
After a brief pause, someone came out to check…

Examples of “paws”

Youth programs include the Angel Paws to Read, which offers students…
…a lion's head, a lion's paws as the cross-guard, and on…
…control system of the PAVE PAWS radar system built for the…
…to the film Breakfast at Tiffany's.
…for fleece boot company Bear Paws.
…stands on three legs with paws and heads of beavers.
…dentition, skull shape, and front paws that the creature was a…
…by their black nose and paws, white stripe on the upper…
…he shouts: "Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty
They have large paws and rippling hard muscle structure…

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

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