Sewer Is Two Words With Different Pronunciations
A sewer carries waste water underground. Spelled the same, a sewer is also one who sews, and the two sound different.
A sewer is an underground channel carrying waste water. Spelled identically, a *sewer* is also someone who sews, and the two are pronounced quite differently — SOO-er for the drain, SOH-er for the needleworker. They are heteronyms, like *lead* the metal and *lead* the verb, or *bass* the fish and *bass* the sound. The drain word comes from Old French *sewiere*, a channel to drain a fishpond, ultimately from Latin *ex-* plus *aqua*, water.
- A waste channel. *The main sewer.*
- One who sews. *A skilled sewer.*
- Sewage — what it carries. *Sewage.*
- Sewerage — the system itself. *Sewerage.*
- Latin — *ex aqua*, out of water. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (drain) | sewer | A sewer. |
| Noun (person) | sewer | A sewer. |
| Noun | sewage | Sewage. |
| Noun | sewerage | Sewerage. |
| Verb | sew | Sew it. |
- The sewer runs beneath the street.Drain.
- She is a fine sewer.Person.
- Sewage is the waste, sewerage the system.Distinction.
English heteronyms
- Sewer — a drain, or one who sews
- Lead — the metal, or to guide
- Bass — the fish, or the low sound
- Tear — a drop from the eye, or to rip
- Wind — moving air, or to coil
Old French *sewiere*, a channel to drain a fishpond, from Vulgar Latin *exaquaria*, from *ex-*, out, plus *aqua*, water.
What is the difference between sewage and sewerage?
Sewage is the waste itself; sewerage is the network of pipes that carries it.
Why do the two sewers sound different?
They are unrelated words that happen to share a spelling. The drain is SOO-er, the needleworker SOH-er.