The word "paronyms" refers to words that have similar spellings and pronunciations but different meanings. They can often be confused with each other, causing confusion in communication. Some synonyms for "paronyms" include homonyms, heterographs, and homophones. Homonyms are words that are spelled and pronounced the same but have different meanings, such as "duck" (a bird) and "duck" (to lower one's head or body). Heterographs are words that are spelled differently but sound the same, such as "write" and "right." Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently, such as "flower" and "flour." All of these types of words can cause difficulties for language learners and speakers alike.