C4.5 Example 3

Homonyms

Definition: a homonym is a word with the same pronounciation as another but with a different meaning, origin, and, usually, spelling.

Purpose: to illustrate how C4.5 and C4.5rules can be used to automate a more difficult task.

Problem: using three collected sets of instances containing homonyms, learn rules to determine, given a window of the five previous words (classified according to their respective Part Of Speech), which spelling of each homonym is preferred.

Downloadable Files

Summary of Results

Comment: only the immediately preceeding word/part of speech contributes to these rules.

"Bare" versus "Bear"

• Rule 1: if the word before the homonym is a verb, then use the spelling "bare".
  e.g., "He was bare."
• Rule 2: if the word before the homonym is an adverb, then use the spelling "bare".
  e.g., "He was very bare."
• Rule 3: if the word before the homonym word is modal (e.g., will, shall), then use the spelling "bear".
  e.g., "They shall bear gifts."
• Otherwise, by default, spell the homonym as "bear".

"Baron" versus "Barren"

• Rule 1: if the word before the homonym is a verb, then use the spelling "barren".
  e.g., "Deserts are barren biomes."
• Rule 2: if the word before the homonym is an article, then use the spelling "baron".
  e.g., "He is a baron."
• Otherwise, by default, spell the homonym as "barren".

"In" versus "Inn"

• Rule 1: if the word before the homonym is a verb, then use the spelling "in".
  e.g., "She walked in."
• Rule 2: if the word before the homonym is an article, then use the spelling "inn".
  e.g., "They stayed at an inn."
• Otherwise, by default, spell the homonym as "in".

"Wait" versus "Weight"

• Rule 1: if the word before the homonym is a possessive pronoun, then use the spelling "weight".
  e.g., "Her weight."
• Rule 2: if the word before the homonym is a pronoun, then use the spelling "wait".
  e.g., "I wait."
• Otherwise, by default, spell the homonym as "wait".