Homophones are words with the same pronunciation but different meanings and usage. Perfect examples of homophones are the words right and wright. Keenly going through our overview of right vs wright helps you appreciate these words further.
Right and wright are different words with identical pronunciations but different meanings. Right means “complying with justice, proper, correct, true, just, perfectly suitable, or fit for purpose.” In contrast, wright means “one engaged in a mechanical or manufacturing business; an artificer.”
Words like wright and right are hard to tell apart, mainly when they are spoken. Also, it is easy to assume that one word is incorrect. In this comparison post, you’ll learn meanings, usage, and whether right and wright are correct words.
Definitions Of Right And Wright
Understanding the differences between words like right and wright is nearly impossible unless you know their definitions. That’s always the case with most homophones. Homophones are two or more words that sound alike but have different meanings and origins.
These words also have different spellings. So, let us differentiate the homophones right and wright by discussing their definitions first. Here are the detailed meanings of wright and right:
What Is The Definition Of Right?
A prevalent definition of right is “complying with justice, correctness, reason, or truth.” Another definition is “anything appropriate, perfectly suitable, or fit for a specific purpose.” Right also means “healthy, sane, competent, real, or veritable.”
As an adjective, right means “about a 90-degree angle or one-quarter of a complete rotation, or an angle with two perpendicular lines.” For example, a right angle.
In anatomy, right refers to “designating the side of the body positioned to the east if one is facing the north.” Like the right hand or leg. Right also means “designated to be placed on top or worn outward,” like the right side of a piece of cloth.
As an exclamation right means “to check agreement at the end of an utterance.” For example, “You got the message, right?” Another meaning as an interjection is “to agree with an opinion or have no opinion.” An example sentence is, “That’s absolutely right!”
As an adverb, right means “in a straight line, straightway, immediately, next, or before something else.” For example, “Jane looked right on.” Still, as an adverb, right means “according to the law, God’s will, conforming to the standards of truth and justice.”
A dated or archaic definition of right is “most favorable or convenient, straight or not bent.”
What Is The Definition Of Wright?
Wright is a noun that means “a person engaged in a mechanical or manufacturing business, like a workman, mechanic, or an artificer.” For example, a wheelwright, playwright, or shipwright. Therefore, this word is more of a suffix attached to a noun that tells what someone works on. For example, a songwright writes songs, and a shipwright creates ships.
An archaic definition of the word “wright” is “a writer whose work is concerned with the oppression of African Americans.” This definition was popular between 1908 and 1960.
How To Properly Use Right And Wright In A Sentence
Right and wright are both correct words. However, many things should be kept in mind before applying the words. This section covers some essential elements you must look into while using these words in sentences.
How To Use The Word Right
This is one of the most famous English words. “Right” fits perfectly as a noun, adjective, adverb, or verb. As a noun, the term explains the following:
- Something morally or socially correct or proper
- Fit for purpose, correct or appropriate
- A conservative position in politics
- A natural, legal, or ethical entitlement like the right to pray
- Copyright or legal ownership. (Use the plural form in this context, like movie rights)
- A direction opposite of left
As a verb, use the word “right” to mean:
- To make straight, like to right a position
- To recover balance after stumbling or falling
- To set in order or rectify a situation, usually an injustice, like to the right a wrong
As an adjective, the word expounds on the following:
- Something showcased per the truth or justice
- Correct
- Something belonging to a particular religious principle or belief
- Perfectly fit or suited
- Normal, natural, or sound mind
As an adverb, this word will mean:
- In a direct line
- Immediately after or following something
- Occurring nearly after or soon
- Fitting or appropriate
How To Use The Word Wright
The best way to use this word is in compound words or as a suffix of another word. For instance, the compound word “playwright” refers to someone that writes plays. Using this word as a single noun is correct but limits its meaning to a builder.
Right Vs Wright: More On The Relationship And Spelling
The relationship between right and wright is that they are homophones. Therefore, you cannot tell their difference from their pronunciation. The pronunciation for both words is “/rahyt/.”
More so, both words are mono-syllables. That means they both have only one syllable, making their pronunciation simple. Below are some other things you should know about these words:
History/Origin
Right comes from the Old English word “riht,” meaning “just, good, fair, or conforming with the moral law.” This word also has Proto-Germanic (rehtan), Middle Dutch (recht), Old High German (reht), German (recht), and Old Norse roots (rettr). Its first known use was in the 1580s.
In contrast, wright comes from Old English “wryhta,” meaning “worker or maker.” Its first known use was in 1884. However, this word lost its popularity in the 1990s.
Applications And Part Of Speech
The word wright is used widely as a noun. In contrast, right is a versatile word, and you can use it as a noun, verb, adverb, or adjective. It has several word forms, like rightfully, rightly, and rightful.
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List Of Examples Of Right And Wright Use In Sentences
Although right and wright are both correct words with different meanings and the same pronunciation, the word “right” is more popular and most commonly used than “wright.”
Most people assume that “wright” is incorrect because you rarely find it as an independent word. Instead, people use this word as a suffix for a compound word, like a playwright.
The truth is that wright, wrights, or wright in compound form are recognized in English. Now that you know this, let us look at some sentence examples featuring these words:
Example sentences of the word right
- Kids have the right to speak up their minds in a classroom.
- The teacher rejected the right answer and wrongfully failed his student.
- The Orlando family has the legal right to all their music.
- Jane has the right to know the truth about her birth parents.
- Right or wrong, the cabinet decided and published the news about the new gun policies.
Example sentences of the word wright
- The wright refused to allow the students to remodel their assessment robots.
- The new wright assessed the vessel before the journey began.
- Jade finally got acknowledgement as a promising wright.
- The art teacher produced some of the university’s best and most promising wrights.
- Jane is a good shipwright, writer, and singer.
Conclusion
Wright and right are among the most popular homophones. However, wright refers to a person performing a specific mechanical or manufacturing business, while right refers to something that complies with justice, correctness, accuracy, or appropriateness. Both words are correct. However, right is more prevalent, while wright is less common. In fact, wright is quickly becoming archaic, and people prefer using it in compound words.
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.