What is lexical ambiguity (and how can you avoid it)?

What is lexical ambiguity?

The word “lexical” refers to words or vocabulary. “Lexical ambiguity” is when the meaning of a word is unclear. It’s also known as semantic ambiguity. Lexical ambiguity happens when a word has more than one meaning, causing a word or phrase to be interpreted differently from how the speaker or writer intended. It typically occurs when the reader or listener doesn’t have the same context as the writer or speaker.

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Examples of lexical ambiguity

Here are a few examples of lexical ambiguity.

• It was cool.

In this case, “cool” could either mean a chilly temperature, or it could mean good or interesting.

• It’s on the house.

Without enough context, “on the house” could mean something is free, or an object could literally be found on the house.

• The club is dead.

In this case, “dead” could mean the club has closed down, or it could mean that the club is lacking an exciting environment.

• There’s a bat in the attic.

In this sentence, “bat” could refer to an animal, or it could refer to the wooden object that’s used in baseball.

Types of lexical ambiguity

There are two primary types of lexical ambiguity: polysemy and homonymy. While quite different, either can cause confusion in writing or conversation.

What is polysemy?

In polysemy, a word has multiple meanings, but each definition is still related to the other. The subtle differences can cause misunderstanding. Here are some examples of polysemy.

• Sleep: The word “sleep” can refer to resting. For example, “My cat is sleeping on the bed right now.” The word “sleep” can also describe a place to sleep. For example, “This room sleeps six people.”
• Judge: The noun “judge” can refer to a public official who makes decisions in court. The verb “judge” means to make an opinion about something.
• Study: The verb “study” can refer to learning about a subject over time. It can also refer to observing or reading something in the moment.

What is homonymy

In homonymy, a word is pronounced or spelled the same way but has different meanings. Context is especially important in these cases. Here are some examples of homonymy.

• Ring: As a noun, “ring” refers to a band on the finger. As a verb, it means to call someone on the phone.
• Bright: As an adjective, it can refer to light. As an adjective, it can also refer to intelligence.
• Park: As a noun, it can refer to a recreational space. As a verb, it can refer to stopping a vehicle.
• Bass: As a noun, it can refer to a fish. It can also refer to a low voice or tone.

What’s the difference between lexical and structural ambiguity?

In lexical ambiguity, a word with multiple meanings can cause a sentence to have more than one interpretation. In structural ambiguity, the way that words are organized in a sentence can cause the sentence to have multiple meanings, for example:

• Sarah said she saw the man wearing glasses.

This sentence can have two meanings: Sarah was either wearing glasses when she saw the man, or the man was the one who was wearing glasses. So, if a specific word causes confusion, you’re witnessing lexical ambiguity. If the organization of a sentence causes confusion, you’re witnessing structural ambiguity.

How to avoid lexical ambiguity

The best way to avoid lexical ambiguity in your writing is to provide your reader with as much context as possible. When your reader has context, they can better understand the intention of a word. Another way to avoid lexical ambiguity is to consider your word choice. Write clearly, simply and consider using synonyms that can’t be confused.

Understanding lexical ambiguity can help you become a better writer. Just being aware of the phenomenon keeps you alert to language that could potentially confuse your readers. Up next, learn more about syntactic ambiguity.