Let's say you are sitting with a group of friends and one of them drops a line that’s funny, and everybody laughs, except you. It may be because you did not get the pun, and the whole scene becomes embarrassing.
On the contrary, suppose you crack a line and everyone starts laughing! Cool enough, right? Yes, that is the actual magic a pun figure of speech can do in your life. However, to do it perfectly, you must have complete knowledge about it.
In this blog, you are going to understand a pun from all its corners with simple pun examples and more. So, let’s buckle up and become smarter!
Table of Contents
A pun (also called paronomasia) are typically a figure of speech that demonstrates creative wordplay or the humorous employment of words that control the spelling & sound with various meanings. Moreover, an example will help you understand better.
Example: -
“You can tune a guitar, but you can't tuna fish. Unless, of course, you play bass.”
Explanation: -
In this figure of speech pun, the sentence demonstrates the link between “tune a guitar” and “tuna fish”. Firstly, these wordplays are shown through similar sound, i.e., “tuna” and “tune a”. On the other hand, the next line includes the word “bass”, which has multiple meanings. The first meaning of bass (a base) is an instrument used for music, while the other meaning stands to be a type of fish. Thus, “tune a guitar, tuna, & bass” all are creating humour, along with a chain of meanings.
Although using this creative speech to form a humorous sentence structure is good, being unfamiliar with its types is unfair. So, let’s read further to familiarise ourselves with the different types of pun in the following section.
In this section, you are going to unlock 5 major types of puns typically used in different forms in daily lives, from the cinematic world to poetry & literature. Moreover, these types consist of homophonic, homographic, compound, visual, & recursive. Let’s now learn these in detail one by one.
If you break the word ‘homophonic’, it gives rise to two different words, i.e., homo (means same) and phonic (means sound). By combining the meaning of two words, we get the actual meaning of homophonic, which is similar or the same sound. Thus, the easy and understandable definition of a homophonic pun stands as the usage of words with similar sounds but different meanings to create humour. Moreover, an example will help you better, so delve into them: -
Example 1. The pony could not speak; he was a little hoarse.
Example 2. A pessimist’s blood type is always B-negative.
Second, this type of pun demonstrates the same spelling with different pronunciations or meanings. Some for a few common examples of homographic words are close, minute, bow, and more. Now, let’s understand homographic puns with the following examples: -
Example 1. “Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.”
Example 2. “The duck was foul, but the referee didn’t call a foul.”
Unequivocally, compound pun stands as a complex pun that typically blends two or more homographic and homophonic puns in a single sentence. Let’s understand better with a few examples: -
Example1. “I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.”
Example 2. “I am reading a book about anti-gravity. It is impossible to put down.”
This type of pun figure of speech stands as humour or has multiple meanings, drafted through images instead of only words. These are expressed visually, in which the objects or symbols are employed intellectually to reflect double meanings or creative ideas.
Example 1. A clock with hands shaped like actual hands.
Example 2. A fish sitting on a stack of books labelled “school”.
Last but not least, recursive pun is a type which refers to or repeats itself, creating a loop. In simple terms, cracking a pun on a previous one includes a joke on itself. Thus, it is used to create a layer of entertainment. For example: -
Example 1:
Example 2:
So, this is all about the pun definition and examples, along with its types. Now, let’s understand the various uses of these puns with illustrations and their explanations.
You will not believe this, but puns stand as an esteemed wordplay type and clever form of the pun figurative language that creates humour. Moreover, they are used to reveal double meanings while enhancing communication. You can often use them in your day-to-day talking, and we can employ them for several reasons. So, let’s look at the reasons one by one!
These words are used to create a sense of entertainment and make the language more engaging and funny. A sudden twist within serious text can trigger wit and let people relish wordplay, which challenges their hopes.
For Example: -
“I used to be a baker, but I could not make enough dough”.
Employing puns reflects a better contextual understanding and allows you to show your creativity. This demonstrates a fascinating quality of making conversations more stimulating and full of fun. Thus, helps you to connect with people and make social scenarios more engaging.
For Example: -
“Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana”.
Humour boosts memory and funny lines live in your memory rent-free as they engage both your intellect and emotions. Thus, a pun figure of speech that makes the context funny and automatically sits in your mind without much stress.
For example: -
“Lettuce turnip the beet.”
They are also known for building connections and a sense of companionship as they engage in enjoyable and funny conversation. Moreover, it is typically for people with the same sense of humour.
For example: -
“You are the apple of my pie.”
In general, the basic usage of puns is to express double meanings and create humour that adds depth to your conversation. Moreover, they are employed to transfer complex ideas in a very simple, engaging, and entertaining way.
For example: -
“A boiled egg is hard to beat.”
So, this is all about the various uses of the pun figure of speech, including examples and their explanation. Moving forward, you will look into 5 common examples of this figure of speech from famous movies.
Now that you have learnt how to make puns impressive, just try employing punctuation and various structures to form thought-provoking puns. With this, let’s look into the number of examples from movies as given below: -
Pun: “Better out than in, I always say.”
Pun: “I am not a hero. I am a high-functioning, sociopathic, narcissistic, realist. And I am armed and dangerous.”
Pun: “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
Pun: “If I am not back in five minutes...... wait longer!”
Pun: “I am Groot.”
This section is prepared for you to practice that will help you to retain an actual pun figure of speech meaning, along with its basics and rules. So, let’s check your knowledge about puns by solving the given worksheet.
The worksheet has provided you with 10 different sentences, including various words and phrases. You are required to read the questions and identify them by underlining the answers. Remember, you are required to determine the word or phrase that creates touches of humour.
Sentences: -
1. I told my laptop I looked for a break, & now it won’t get tired sending me cookies.
2. I am reading a book about anti-gravity. It is impossible to put down.
3. I know a guy who is addicted to brake fluid, but he says he can stop anytime.
4. The restaurant owner was in a jam after the food critic’s review.
5. The golfer carried an extra pair of socks in case he got a hole-in-one.
6. The optometrist’s office was really busy, but it was clear to see why.
7. My math teacher called me an average student. How mean!
8. I used to be a baker, but I could not make enough dough.
9. The bicycle could not stand up by itself because it was two-tired.
10. I could not figure out how to put my seatbelt on, but then it clicked.
Answers: -
1. I told my laptop I looked for a break, & now it won’t get tired sending me cookies.
2. I am reading a book about anti-gravity. It is impossible to put down.
3. I know a guy who is addicted to brake fluid, but he says he can stop anytime.
4. The restaurant owner was in a jam after the food critic’s review.
5. The golfer carried an extra pair of socks in case he got a hole-in-one.
6. The optometrist’s office was really busy, but it was clear to see
7. My math teacher called me an average student. How mean!
8. I used to be a baker, but I could not make enough dough.
9. The bicycle could not stand up by itself because it was two-tired.
10. I could not figure out how to put my seatbelt on, but then it clicked.
To sum up, pun examples figure of speech stands as an ideal and original way of injecting a joke along with the correct meaning into any language. Moreover, you can do so using rhyming words or wordplay. Besides, puns are said to carry a world of likelihood for intellectual and clever expression within any context. From deep-rooted jokes to catchy lines from movies or literature, puns make the whole situation unforgettable, funny, and interesting. Thus, with the art of mastering puns, anyone or you can develop your speech, which makes it amusing and logical as well.
So now you are all ready to start a conversation in your friends' group and be cool by inserting a pun, and notice the ways it ignites bonding and laughter!
1. Why do writers use puns?
Ans. There are various uses of a pun while writing, and mainly, writers make use of it to create engaging content and make the writing memorable. As we know, puns are employed to create humour, they lighten the mood of the reader while reading a serious piece, also they stress a theme, and make dialogue amusing and natural.
2. What is a pun in literature?
Ans. Pun stands as a figure of speech in literature that plays with various words with several meanings or similar sounds, yet have unique meanings. In general, they are employed to create fun, an intellectual effect, or just for a sharp twist in writing. For example: - Can February March? No, but April May.
3. Can a pun have more than one meaning?
Ans. Yes, a pun often reflects several meanings of similar sounds or any other word. For instance, “Grammar lovers have lots of comma sense”. Here, in this ‘comma sense’ stands to be a pun, used as a humour.
4. How can I recognise a pun?
Ans. For recognising a pun, you have to look for words that retain multiple meanings or are of similar sound with different meanings. Pun’s always intended to be witty or playful. Thus, if a word or a phrase signals something surprisingly, it may be a pun!
5. Are puns always humorous?
Ans. No, not always. Puns are typically for fun content, yet they are not always used for humour. Moreover, some are used to highlight or emphasise certain ideas in a memorable way. Nevertheless, they are also used in a much serious context, but humour is the key goal.
We are available in :
BangaloreAhmedabadJaipurHyderabadKeralaPuneChandigarhMumbaiGurgaonChennaiKolkataTrivandrumNoidaKochiCalicutKottayamKollamThrissurIndoreUdaipurdisclaimer:logos and other registered trademarks of universities used on this platform are held by their respective owners. Gradding does not claim ownership or association on them, and their use is purely for informational and illustrative purposes.
