Homophone indicators tell the solver that the solution sounds like a word or words suggested by the wordplay, but is spelt differently eg ‘Broadcast obscene programme’ for COURSE (sounds like ‘coarse’). Setters should be careful to ensure that in clues involving two words of the same length it is clear to which element the homophone indicator applies – so ‘Animal reportedly naked’ could lead to either BARE or BEAR; this should be reworded as ‘Animal naked, reportedly’ (for BEAR) or ‘Naked animal reported’ (for BARE).
Date last modified: 04/09/24
Recent changes: (07/03/24) added escaping from trap/released from trap, (13/08) added sounds/sounds like/sounding/sounded, (04/09) added according to hearsay.
| Indicator | Alternative form(s) | Type |
|---|---|---|
| according to hearsay | Standard | |
| aloud | Standard | |
| announced | Standard | |
| articulated | Standard | |
| audible | audibly | Standard |
| broadcast | Standard | |
| caught | Standard | |
| delivered | Standard | |
| detected by auditors | for auditors | Standard |
| escaping from trap | released from trap | Standard |
| for audience | Standard | |
| for listener | Standard | |
| gathered | we gather | Standard |
| heard | we hear | Standard |
| in audition | Standard | |
| in conversation | Standard | |
| in speech | Standard | |
| made out | Standard | |
| on the radio | Standard | |
| on the telephone | Standard | |
| oral | orally | Standard |
| overheard | Standard | |
| picked up | Standard | |
| pronounced | Standard | |
| read out | read aloud | Standard |
| reported | reportedly/in report | Standard |
| said | so it's said | Standard |
| sound of | by the sound of it | Standard |
| sounded | sounding | Standard |
| sounds | sounds like | Standard |
| spoken | Standard | |
| stated | as stated | Standard |
| told | Standard | |
| uttered | Standard | |
| verbal | verbally | Standard |