PUNS (WORDPLAY)

CLASS: FORM TWO

ORAL SKILLS: LISTENING AND SPEAKING

Puns (Wordplay)

Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the learner should be able to:

  a)        Identify puns

  b)        Explain the purpose of puns

 

A pun is a joke that makes a play on words. It is also referred to as wordplay.

Puns are used to a humorous effect since they make use of words with more than one meaning (homonyms) or words that sound similar but have different meanings (homophones).

The word bank has more than one meaning.

Bank (n) -financial institution, 

         -a stock of something, 

         -land alongside a river or lake

Bank (v) -to keep money,  

              -depend on something happening

 

Example of a pun using the word bank

On financial matters, you can always bank on me.

 

Puns rely on homophones, homographs and homonyms.

 

Homophones

These are words with the same pronunciation but different meaning

 

For example;

Bury-berry

Flour-flower

Male-mail

Isle-aisle

Prophet-profit

 

Homographs

Words that are spelled the same but have different pronunciation and meaning

 

Wind /wɪnd/ -current of air

Wind /wɑɪnd/ -turn/wrap around

 

Row /rəʊ/ -line

Row /rɑʊ/ -argument

                        

Bow /bəʊ/ -weapon

Bow /bɑʊ/ -lean

 

Homonyms

Words that have the same spelling and pronunciation but different meanings

Bank-financial institution

Bank-land alongside a river

 

Stable-firmly fixed

Stable-horse house

 

Pen-enclosed space

Pen-for writing

 

 

We can make interesting puns using the names of some famous people.

 

Amos Wako (Former AG)

“Usiniconfuse na Amos, mimi sio wako”

 

"Mimi sio wako" may mean “I am not (Amos) Wako” or “I don’t belong to you”.  

 

Paul Muite (Lawyer)

“Kesi ikiwa ngumu itabidi Paul nimuite”

 

Can you explain the two meanings and the humorous effect caused by the second pun?

 

Other examples of puns

1.  Rose is my flower.

2.  God have mercy and give me grace.

3.  She cannot bear children.

4.  The bicycle could not stand on its own because it was two-tyred.

5.  I tried to move the envelope but it was still stationary.

6.  Mululu is in the cabinet.

 

Exercise

   a)        Explain the two meanings of the sentences above.

  b)        Identify whether they use homophones, homographs or homonyms.

 

Can you create some puns of your own and share in the comments?

 

Purpose of puns

·        Used for humorous effect

·        They help us to be more confident users of a certain language

 Next we analyse oral skills notes on bowing and curtsying.