Is there a term for words that share the same kana spelling?


I would like to know if there is a word (in either Japanese or English) that
describes pairs of words that are spelled the same in kana. For example, 橋 and
箸 would be "homo-kana" words, because they are both spelled はし.

I'm **not** looking for the word _homograph_ / 同綴異義語【どうてついぎご】. The term
_homograph_ would apply to pairs like 一日【いちにち】 and 一日【ついたち】, which are written
identically, but have different meanings (I know this isn't a great example,
since 一日【いちにち】 and 一日【ついたち】 are obviously related, but I haven't come up with
anything better). The example I gave above (橋・箸) is an example of a pair of
heterographs that are "homo-kana" words.

I'm also not looking for the word _homophone_ / 同音異義語【どうおんいぎご】: words that are
written the same in kana need not be pronounced the same, because of pitch
accent. Again, 橋 and 箸 are not homophones (in 標準語 anyway) but are still "homo-
kana" words.

I suppose I could just say something to the effect of 「『橋』と『箸』のカナ表記が同じ」, but I
feel like this is the sort of thing for which a technical term would have been
developed.




The Japanese Wikipedia article at
[同訓異字](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%90%8C%E8%A8%93%E7%95%B0%E5%AD%97),
specifically the
[動詞の例](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%90%8C%E8%A8%93%E7%95%B0%E5%AD%97#.E5.8B.95.E8.A9.9E.E3.81.AE.E4.BE.8B.EF.BC.88.E6.85.A3.E7.94.A8.E7.9A.84.E3.81.AA.E3.82.82.E3.81.AE.E3.81.AF.E9.99.A4.E3.81.8F.EF.BC.89)
section, leads me to think that pitch accent isn't important for this term.

  * The examples listed for the うむ ( _umu_ ) reading, for instance, include 生む ( _ùmú_ , "to bear, to produce") with the flat _heiban_ pitch pattern and 膿む ( _úmù_ , "to swell, to become swollen") with the high-initial _atamadaka_ pitch pattern.

  * Similarly, the list for the きる ( _kiru_ ) reading includes both the _heiban_ 着る ( _kìrú_ , "to wear [clothing]") and the _atamadaka_ 切る ( _kírù_ , "to cut something").

Looking further down in the
[形容詞の例](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%90%8C%E8%A8%93%E7%95%B0%E5%AD%97#.E5.BD.A2.E5.AE.B9.E8.A9.9E.E3.81.AE.E4.BE.8B)
section reinforces this.

  * For あつい ( _atsui_ ), the examples include both the _heiban_ 厚い ( _àtsúí_ , "thick") and the _nakadaka_ 暑い ( _àtsúì_ , "hot [weather]"), 熱い ( _àtsúì_ , "hot [to the touch]").

In light of this variation in pitch accent, I think 同訓異字 is the term you're
looking for, at least for kun'yomi terms.

* * *

Along the same lines, I just had a poke around the JA WP page at
[同音異字](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%90%8C%E9%9F%B3%E7%95%B0%E5%AD%97) for
on'yomi terms. There is much less apparent pitch accent variation in these
lists, but there _are_ some examples, such as:

  * 孝行 ( _kóòkòò_ , atamadaka, "filial piety") and 高校 ( _kòókóó_ , heiban, "high school")
  * 次官 ( _jíkàǹ_ , atamadaka, "undersecretary, vice minister") and 時間 ( _jìkáń_ , heiban, "time, hour")

So for on'yomi terms, 同音異字 looks like the term you want.

