Hi everyone, my name is Ms Velvet and today, I’ll be sharing with you more about ‘puns’ – Playful Puns: Let’s Have Fun With Words!
What are puns?
A pun is a witty use of wordplay for comical effect. It usually relies on words that have similar meanings, spellings or sounds to make the listener laugh.
For instance, in the image that I have shared above, the joke comes from the double meaning of the word ‘see’: to be able to see yourself in the mirror using your eyes if you get a job inspecting mirrors (literal meaning) and to know what you will be doing in the future (figurative meaning of ‘see myself doing’).
Surprisingly, even though puns may seem silly, deciphering them can be quite a complex mental task. This is because both sides of our brains – the right and left hemispheres – need to communicate quickly and effectively for the pun to land!
Why do we use puns?
Puns have many uses in both writing and daily speech. Mainly used to create a humorous effect, they can also have other uses, including to show off the clever usage of language and even to create irony. Even Shakespeare himself loved to include puns in his plays! Some puns are used to achieve a rhetorical effect, which could be to reinforce a point already made, while others act like Easter eggs – they come unexpectedly and become hidden jokes to entertain the more sensitive reader. More often than not, puns are used in commercials and marketing advertisements since they are light-hearted and fun.
Personally, I would recommend using puns in less formal situations, for instance when emailing a friend or to add a bit of humour to a class presentation. A pun sets a silly tone, so it is always best to ask yourself whether silliness is an appropriate tone for the piece that you are writing. There are also people who may find puns a little annoying, so you may want to use it sparingly in this case!
What are the different types of puns?
Now, there are several types of puns but the two main ones are:
- Homophonic puns
- Homographic puns
Let’s take a quick look at each one!
1. Homophonic Puns
A homophonic pun plays on words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. In other words, it uses paired homonyms. For example, when celebrating the Year of the Ox several years ago, you may have heard of this greeting,” Have an OX – picious new year!” This pun plays on the original word “auspicious”. Can you think of other homophonic puns?
2. Homographic Puns
Another type of pun would be the homographic pun. This type of pun plays on words that are spelled the same way but have a double meaning. These puns are funny because both interpretations of the word are true in the statement. Since these puns rely on spelling, they are mostly visual and best understood when read. For example, “Math class is full of drama. There are so many problems to work out.” The word problems’ in this case refers to both problem sums that we normally have to solve for math class as well as issues that arise during the class that need to be dealt with. See if you can think of other examples!
How do I create my own pun?
Keen to try your hand at creating puns? Here are some tips for crafting puns in your writing:
#1: Pose a simple or rhetorical question where the answer is a clever pun
Here are some great examples:
- What do you call an alligator in a vest? An investigator!
- Why are teddy bears never hungry? They are always stuffed!
- Why are the Middle Ages called the Dark Ages? Because of all the knights.
- Why are fish so smart? Because they live in schools.
- Can a bear dance? Yes, but just barely.
#2: Think of a pair of homophones (or two words that sound similar) or homographs and write a statement that links them together
For example, when I think of “pain”, a possible homonym would be “pane”. Put them together and you can have something like this: A boy cut his finger when the glass window broke. It was a paneful experience.
#3: Power up your vocabulary
The best way to become an expert in writing your own puns is of course to build your own vocabulary. When you hear or read words being used, take note of them and think about what makes them humorous. Pay attention to sayings and proverbs such as “Better late than never” and “Look before you leap” because these expressions can be intentionally misinterpreted to create funny puns.
Well, I hope you had fun learning about this topic! Puns are not only humorous but can also allow you to have a deeper appreciation of a writer’s grasp of the language through clever word play. So let your creative juices flow this holiday and carve out some time to craft some of your own puns. Be sure to share them in the comments section below if you do. Take care and enjoy the break!
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