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REET L1+L2 · Hindi

Shabd-Yugm (Word Pairs)

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This page covers shabd-yugm (word pairs that sound almost alike but mean something different) from the REET Hindi language section. REET 2024 asked for the correct meanings of word pairs like 'मूल and मूल्य', so this page lists the pairs that come up most often in the exam, along with their meanings.

  • 1 question in REET 2024
  • Class 3–8 level
  • 7 min read
Verified 17 September 2026

How REET asks this topic

A shabd-yugm question in the REET Hindi section usually asks for the correct meanings, in the correct order, of two similar-sounding words. REET 2024 asked 'मूल एवं मूल्य का क्रमशः अर्थ है' — where the meanings of both words had to be matched in the correct order. A single vowel-mark (like the difference between 'ल' and 'ल्य' in 'मूल' and 'मूल्य') completely changes the meaning, so both the spelling mark and the meaning need to be memorised carefully.

What is Shabd-Yugm?

Two words that sound almost identical when heard or read (with a difference in pronunciation no bigger than a single vowel-mark or nasal sign) but have completely different meanings are called shabd-yugm. They are also called shrutisam bhinnarthak shabd (similar in sound, different in meaning). Example: 'मूल' (root, beginning, base) and 'मूल्य' (price) — they sound alike but their meanings are different.

This topic matters for REET because a teacher needs a solid grasp of these small differences in spelling and vowel-marks so they can teach children correct Hindi writing. The exam often gives one word and asks for its 'correct paired word' or asks you to match the correct meanings of both words.

Major Shabd-Yugm and Their Meanings

Word 1MeaningWord 2Meaning
मूलroot / beginning / baseमूल्यprice
अंसshoulderअंशportion / share
अन्नgrain / foodअन्यother
अपेक्षाwish / in comparisonउपेक्षाdisregard
अभयfearlessउभयboth
अचारpickle (a sour food)आचारconduct / behaviour
कुलlineage / totalकूलriverbank
दिनdayदीनpoor, wretched
ग्रहplanet (e.g. मंगल, बुध)गृहhouse
अनिलwind, airअनलfire
प्रसादoffering, graceप्रासादpalace

Each pair sounds similar in pronunciation but has a completely different meaning.

Usage in Example Sentences

Seeing a few common shabd-yugm used in sentences makes the difference in vowel-mark even clearer — 'यह जमीन उसके कुल की है, जबकि झोपड़ी नदी के कूल के पास बनी है।' 'गरीब का दीन जीवन हर दिन संघर्ष से भरा रहता है।' 'ज्योतिषी ने बताया कि कौन-सा ग्रह किस गृह में बैठा है।' 'पंडित ने प्रसाद बाँटा, फिर सब लोग राजा के प्रासाद की ओर चल दिए।'

Reading such sentences helps fix both the vowel-mark and the meaning of a shabd-yugm in memory together, which is very useful for option-based questions like REET's.

Why This Topic Matters for REET

Correct knowledge of shabd-yugm matters for a teacher because catching vowel-mark mistakes (like writing 'दीन' instead of 'दिन') while giving dictation or checking children's copybooks is the teacher's own responsibility. This topic strengthens the understanding of Hindi spelling, which keeps coming up throughout the classes 3 to 8 Hindi syllabus.

Besides this, this topic also forms the foundation for questions on spelling correction and sentence correction in REET's grammar section, since the exam often asks you to fix a sentence that uses the wrong word from a shabd-yugm pair.

How to Identify Them

To tell a shabd-yugm apart, pay attention to two things — first, the small difference in the vowel-mark or nasal sign (like the 'इ' mark in 'दिन' versus the 'ई' mark in 'दीन'), and second, the context in which it is used in the sentence. For example, in 'नदी के कूल पर बैठकर उसने अपने कुल की मर्यादा सोची', the correct usage of both words can be seen together.

The difference from anekarthi shabd is this: in anekarthi shabd, one single word has several meanings, while in shabd-yugm, two different (but similar-sounding) words have completely different meanings. Without understanding this difference, REET candidates can get confused between the two topics.

Another useful clue is that in a shabd-yugm, one word often carries a 'hrasva' (short) vowel-mark (like इ, उ) and the other a 'deergh' (long) vowel-mark (like ई, ऊ) — as in 'दिन' (short इ) and 'दीन' (long ई). Spotting this pattern makes remembering easier, although the rule doesn't apply perfectly to every pair, so remembering each pair's meaning individually remains the most reliable approach.

How to Teach This to Children

Classroom Activity

Write a shabd-yugm (like 'दिन-दीन') on the board and have children make separate sentences with both words, then underline the difference in vowel-mark with coloured chalk to show it.

Teaching Aids

On a flashcard, write the first word of the shabd-yugm on one side and the second word on the other, and stick a simple picture linked to each meaning — for example, a picture of a family for 'कुल' and a picture of a riverbank for 'कूल'.

Common Error

Children often make vowel-mark mistakes in writing (like writing 'मूल्य' instead of 'मूल', or 'दीन' instead of 'दिन'), which changes the meaning of the sentence itself. Dictation practice on each shabd-yugm is useful to fix this, along with having children find and correct such mistakes in their own written work.

Assessment Method

Dictate sentences containing shabd-yugm and have children write them down, then check whether they've written the correct vowel-mark and meaning. You can also say one word out loud and ask children to give its paired word and both meanings.

Trick to Remember

To remember shabd-yugm, build one paired mnemonic sentence for each pair that uses both words together, like 'नदी के कूल पर बैठकर उसे अपने कुल की याद आई'. Such sentences help you remember both meanings together, and you won't slip up on the vowel-mark in the exam.

Questions Asked in REET 2024 (Solved)

निम्नलिखित गद्यांश के आधार पर प्रश्न संख्या 74 से 83 तक के उत्तर दीजिए । प्राचीन काल से भारतीय संस्कृति का प्रकाश विश्व भर में फैल रहा है । इस महान भारतीय संस्कृति के वैशिष्ट्य बिंदु निम्नानुसार है - प्राचीनता-भारतीय संस्कृति का इतिहास अत्यंत प्राचीन है । सरस्वती-सैंधव सभ्यता की खोज एवं उत्खनन से प्राप्त सामग्री का मूल्य आँकना संभव नहीं है । यह प्राप्त सामग्री आज भी हमारा गौरव है । इनका संरक्षण एवं अध्ययन हमारा ध्येय होना चाहिए । निरंतरता-भारतीय संस्कृति की धारा निर्बाध रूप से हजारों वर्षों से बहती चली आ रही है । सैंधव सभ्यता से प्राप्त देवी-देवताओं की मूर्तियाँ भारतीयों के लिए पूजनीय हैं । अनेक विदेशी आक्रमणों के बावजूद भारतीय संस्कृति ने अपना मूल स्वरूप स्थायी बनाए रखा है । आध्यात्मिकता-अध्यात्म भारतीय संस्कृति का प्राण तत्त्व है । हमारी संस्कृति का विकास तपोवनों और आश्रमों में हुआ है । ग्रहणशीलता-बाहरी तत्त्वों को आत्मसात् करने की क्षमता और समन्वित जीवनशैली भारतीय संस्कृति का प्रमुख गुण है । भारतीय संस्कृति की प्रेरक व्यवस्था व्यक्ति को नैतिक रूप से दृढ़ कर मानव बनाती है । भारतीय संस्कृति का सौंदर्य सार्वभौमिक है ।

Question 82

The respective meanings of 'मूल' (mool) and 'मूल्य' (moolya) are -

  1. Aकीमत - प्रधान
  2. Bप्रदान - आरंभ
  3. Cकीमत - प्रदान
  4. Dआरंभ - कीमत

Explanation

‘मूल’ और ‘मूल्य’ समान उच्चारण वाले भिन्नार्थक शब्द (श्रुतिसम शब्द-युग्म) हैं। ‘मूल’ का अर्थ जड़/आरंभ/आधार है और ‘मूल्य’ का अर्थ कीमत है। अतः क्रमशः अर्थ ‘आरंभ - कीमत’ है।

Practice Questions

Question 1

What are the correct meanings of the words 'दिन' and 'दीन' respectively?

  1. Aदिवस, गरीब
  2. Bगरीब, दिवस
  3. Cरात, अमीर
  4. Dमहीना, गरीब

Explanation

'दिन' means 'day', and 'दीन' means 'poor/wretched' — both sound similar in pronunciation but differ in meaning.

Question 2

Between 'ग्रह' and 'गृह', which word gives the meaning 'घर' (house)?

  1. Aग्रह
  2. Bगृह
  3. Cदोनों
  4. Dकोई नहीं

Explanation

'गृह' means 'house', while 'ग्रह' means an astronomical body (like मंगल, बुध).

Question 3

What are the correct meanings of 'कुल' and 'कूल' respectively?

  1. Aकिनारा, वंश
  2. Bवंश, किनारा
  3. Cपरिवार, संख्या
  4. Dसब, दिन

Explanation

'कुल' means lineage, and 'कूल' means riverbank.

Question 4

Which option shows the correct meanings of 'मूल' and 'मूल्य' respectively?

  1. Aकीमत, आरंभ
  2. Bआरंभ, कीमत
  3. Cजड़, वंश
  4. Dमहँगा, सस्ता

Explanation

'मूल' means root/beginning/base, and 'मूल्य' means price, so the correct order is 'beginning, price'.

Question 5

The correct difference between the words 'अपेक्षा' and 'उपेक्षा' is:

  1. Aअपेक्षा = इच्छा/तुलना में, उपेक्षा = निरादर
  2. Bअपेक्षा = निरादर, उपेक्षा = इच्छा
  3. Cदोनों का अर्थ समान है
  4. Dअपेक्षा = कीमत, उपेक्षा = आरंभ

Explanation

'अपेक्षा' means a wish or 'in comparison to', while 'उपेक्षा' means disregard/neglect.

Question 6

The correct meanings of the words 'अभय' and 'उभय' are:

  1. Aनिर्भय, दोनों
  2. Bदोनों, निर्भय
  3. Cडर, साहस
  4. Dएक, अनेक

Explanation

'अभय' means fearless, and 'उभय' means both/both sides.

Question 7

State the correct difference between the words 'अन्न' and 'अन्य':

  1. Aअन्न = अनाज, अन्य = दूसरा
  2. Bअन्न = दूसरा, अन्य = अनाज
  3. Cदोनों का अर्थ अनाज है
  4. Dअन्न = किनारा, अन्य = वंश

Explanation

'अन्न' means grain/food, while 'अन्य' means other/someone else.

Question 8

The most suitable way to correct children's matra (vowel-sign)-related mistakes while teaching shabd-yugm (word pairs) is:

  1. Aश्रुतलेख (dictation) अभ्यास कराना
  2. Bकेवल शब्दकोश देखने को कहना
  3. Cशब्द रटवाना बिना वाक्य के
  4. Dकोई अभ्यास न कराना

Explanation

Dictation (shrutalekh) practice gives children practice writing with the correct vowel-mark by ear, which reduces shabd-yugm mistakes.

Question 9

What is the most common misconception among children while teaching shabd-yugm (word pairs)?

  1. Aवे दोनों मिलते-जुलते शब्दों को एक ही अर्थ का मान लेते हैं
  2. Bवे शब्दों को अंग्रेज़ी में बोलने लगते हैं
  3. Cवे विलोम शब्द याद करने लगते हैं
  4. Dवे शब्दों का लिंग बदल देते हैं

Explanation

Because of the similarity in pronunciation, children often assume both similar-sounding words share the same meaning, when their meanings are actually completely different — sentence-pair practice is needed to fix this.

Question 10

The correct meanings of the words 'प्रसाद' and 'प्रासाद' are:

  1. Aभेंट/कृपा, महल
  2. Bमहल, भेंट/कृपा
  3. Cमंदिर, घर
  4. Dकृपा, नदी

Explanation

'प्रसाद' means an offering or divine grace, while 'प्रासाद' means a palace/large building.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between shabd-yugm and shrutisam bhinnarthak shabd?+

There's no difference — shabd-yugm is exactly what's called shrutisam bhinnarthak shabd (similar in sound, different in meaning); these are just two names for the same concept.

How many REET questions come from shabd-yugm?+

REET 2024 asked 1 question from this topic in the Hindi section; it is a topic repeated in the word-knowledge portion of Language-1/Language-2 nearly every year.

What's the difference between 'कुल' and 'कूल'?+

'कुल' means lineage/total, while 'कूल' means riverbank — both sound alike but have different meanings.

How is shabd-yugm different from anekarthi shabd?+

In anekarthi shabd, one word has several meanings, while in shabd-yugm, two different words that sound similar have different meanings.

What's the most useful practice for identifying shabd-yugm?+

Dictation (shrutalekh) practice is the most useful, since it tests understanding of both the vowel-mark and the pronunciation.

Read Next

Anekarthi Shabd (Polysemous Words)

One word, several meanings — REET Hindi grammar notes.

One Word for a Phrase

Read the list of single words used for phrases.

REET Syllabus

See the complete REET Level 1 and Level 2 syllabus.

REET 2024 Solved Paper

Read all solved REET 2024 questions in one place.

Change Log

  • 17 September 2026 — English page published — mirrors the fact-checked Hindi page, independently bilingual-accuracy checked