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“Pause” or “Paws”

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.

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Definitions

What each term means

Same sound, different spellings and meanings, shown with a pronunciation guide for each term.

pause p·AO·z

  • nouna time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something.
  • nountemporary inactivity.
  • verbcease an action temporarily.

paws p·AO·z

  • nouna clawed foot of an animal especially a quadruped.
  • verbscrape with the paws.
  • verbtouch clumsily.
Usage

Examples in context

Real sentences for each spelling. Hover an example to copy it.

“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…

“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 are drawn from WordNet.

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