Duck vs Duck

• Duck (a type of bird) – Noun

• Duck (to lower your body quickly) – Verb

Pronunciation

These words are homonyms, meaning they are spelled the same, sound the same, but have different meanings.

• Duck (Noun): Pronounced /dʌk/ (DUHK) — A type of bird.

• Duck (Verb): Pronounced /dʌk/ (DUHK) — To lower your body quickly.

Listen to the audio. They sound the same.

What makes them different is your intonation, expression, and context, or the other words in the sentence.

Instruction

Read each sentence aloud and practice identifying the meaning of "duck" in context.
Can you tell which “duck” is being mentioned as you read each sentence?

Example Sentences

1. The duck swam gracefully in the pond.
   a. A type of bird
   b. To lower your body quickly

2. She had to duck to avoid hitting her head.
   a. A type of bird
   b. To lower your body quickly

3. The children fed the duck some bread.
   a. A type of bird
   b. To lower your body quickly

4. He ducked behind the wall when the ball came flying.
   a. A type of bird
   b. To lower your body quickly

5. There were many ducks waddling near the lake.
   a. A type of bird
   b. To lower your body quickly

6. Duck when you see the low branch!
   a. A type of bird
   b. To lower your body quickly

7. The hunter spotted a duck in the reeds.
   a. A type of bird
   b. To lower your body quickly

8. They had to duck when the ball came their way.
   a. A type of bird
   b. To lower your body quickly

9. The duck quacked loudly to get attention.
   a. A type of bird
   b. To lower your body quickly

10. He told everyone to duck as the frisbee zoomed past.
    a. A type of bird
    b. To lower your body quickly

Answers

1. a

2. b

3. a

4. b

5. a

6. b

7. a

8. b

9. a

10. b

Intonation

Instructions: Intonation is controlling the rise and fall of your voice. When we do this with words and phrases, we send the listener a specific message.

Duck (a type of bird)

1. The duck swam across the lake. (Stress duck to focus on the bird.)

2. We fed the duck some bread. (Emphasize bread to highlight the action.)

3. The duck waddled across the road. (Highlight waddled to show movement.)

Duck (to lower your body quickly)

1. She had to duck under the table. (Stress duck to show the action.)

2. Quickly duck before they see you! (Highlight quickly to show urgency.)

3. He ducked when the ball flew past. (Emphasize ducked to focus on the movement.)

Expression

The following explains how stressing or emphasizing the bolded words alters the tone or focus of the sentence and offers some helpful tips. Practice stressing these words when speaking. Create your own sentences with the following words and phrases.

Duck (a type of bird):

1. Duck in the pond: Refers to a specific scene involving a bird.

   • Tip: Highlight pond to describe the environment.

   • Sentence: ____________________.

2. Waddling duck: Focuses on the bird’s movement.

   • Tip: Emphasize waddling to create imagery.

   • Sentence: ____________________.

3. Quacking duck: Highlights the bird’s sound.

   • Tip: Say quacking slowly to mimic the noise.

   • Sentence: ____________________.

Duck (to lower your body quickly):

1. Duck quickly: Emphasizes the speed of the action.

   • Tip: Stress quickly to show urgency.

   • Sentence: ____________________.

2. Duck and hide: Suggests an additional action after ducking.

   • Tip: Emphasize hide to focus on the follow-up action.

   • Sentence: ____________________.

3. Ducked under: Describes an action in a specific direction.

   • Tip: Highlight under to show where they ducked.

   • Sentence: ____________________.

Things to Remember:

The word "duck" is used in different contexts:

• Duck (a bird): Works with descriptive actions like "swam," "waddled," or "quacked."

  • Example: The duck swam across the pond.

• Duck (to lower body): Works with action verbs like "duck," "ducked," or "hide."

  • Example: He had to duck when the ball flew by.