Base vs. Bass – What’s the Gist?
Between this word pairing, base and bass function as homophones, words that have the same sound but have both different spellings and meanings.
- Base functions as several different parts of speech.
- Bass is both a noun and an adjective.
Furthermore, the word bass is an interesting word all on its own but more on that later.
How to Use Base in a Sentence
Base definition: Functioning as a noun, the word base \bāse\ means the bottom of something or something that is foundational; or a main ingredient or carrying ingredient; or the fundamental part of something; or finally, the four places in a baseball field indicating the different positions designated for advancement in the game.
For example:
- The base of the antique table began to crack and split, making it nonfunctional. (Noun)
- The base of the soup was chicken broth. (Noun)
- After slamming the ball over the wall, the baseball player touched each base as he jogged around the field toward home. (Noun)
Base can also act as a verb, meaning to find a foundation or basis for; or to make, form, or serve as a base.
For example:
- The physician based his findings on the data revealing the widespread contagiousness of the disease. (Past Tense Verb)
- The company’s headquarters was based in Chicago. (Past Tense Verb)
Additionally, base serves as an adjective which means lacking the higher qualities of the mind or being comparatively low in value or having inferior properties.
For example:
- Reacting to his baser inclinations meant that he objectified women instead of thinking of them as fellow human beings. (Adjective)
- Even though it is considered a base metal, turning in copper as scrap metal can earn someone a few bucks. (Adjective)
As you can see, the word base has a good base in word usage.
How to Use Bass in a Sentence
Bass definition: As alluded to earlier, the word bass has its own word usage anomaly that originates in its pronunciation. Bass can be pronounced as either \bās\, using the long a sound, or as \bäs\, implementing the short a sound.
This functionality makes the term bass a heteronym, which means that both the definition and the pronunciation are different, but the words have the same spelling.
Pronounced as \bäs\, this word is a noun that means any of the numerous edible marine or freshwater fish.
For example:
- My aunt caught a twenty-inch largemouth bass when she went fishing for the first time. (Noun)
On the other hand, when it is pronounced like its word pairing \bās\, this word functions as either an adjective or a noun. As an adjective, it means deep or grave in tone or low of pitch. When functioning as a noun, the term reflects the lowest voice part in a choir or a member of a family of instruments having the lowest range.
For example:
- His bass tone reverberated across the room. (Adjective)
- During choir practice, the director divided the group by the sopranos, the altos, the tenors, and the basses. (Noun)
- The bassist picked up his bass and provided the subtle low rhythm of the song for the band. (Noun)
As you can see the word bass has some interesting nuances by functioning as a homophone for the word base and as a heteronym sharing the same spelling with another word.
Outside Examples of Base vs. Bass
- Living on a military base can be idyllic. Children bike and run freely, cars drive slowly through the neighborhoods, parents keep an eye on one another’s kids, uniformed service members pop home for lunch, and everybody knows your name. In recent years however, these Mayberrys have been plagued by substantial unresolved maintenance issues, which many military renters chalk up to abject negligence from private military housing companies. –The New York Times
- The workers did not show symptoms of infection and were not tested for the virus, according to lawyers for the whistleblower, a senior HHS official based in Washington who oversees workers at the Administration for Children and Families, a unit within HHS. –The Washington Post
- But people stood densely packed around some bars’ food counters on Saturday. Meanwhile, shoppers jostled for position at one of Milan’s main outdoor fish markets as they tried to buy sea bass and swordfish. –The Wall Street Journal
- The 19 songs of “Cages” don’t sound like show tunes; they have a pulsating bass, infectious hooks and a sumptuous serving of auto-tune. These earworms echo the aural aesthetics of Muse, Daft Punk, Ellie Goulding, Sufjan Stevens and Kanye West — if they were accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra. –LA Times
Phrases That Use Base and Bass
There are a couple of phrases that use the word base or bass, including:
Cover (one’s) bases: To ensure safety or success by trying to anticipate all the details on a particular situation.
- To cover her bases, the teacher went over the details of the lesson plan looking for gaps.
Off base: Suggesting that someone’s position is incorrect or misguided.
- The student told the teacher that the assumption made about his not turning in the assignment was off base.
Bass clarinet: A noun phrase describing one of the lower-pitch members of the clarinet family.
- The girl really wanted to learn how to play the bass clarinet.
Bass drum: A noun phrase describing the lowest pitch member of the percussion family.
- The beat of the bass drum reverberated from the stage and across the room.
How to Remember These Words
Between the pairing pronounced \bās\, you need to decide which word you want base or bass.
If you are needing a word that focuses on something foundational, remember the word basement. If a house has a basement, it is the foundation that is supporting the structure, much like the word base has foundational denotations.
If you want to use the word bass for a voice pitch or a musical instrument of some kind, look at the double ss. One letter s is for singer and the second s is for the sounds that instruments make.
For example:
- The base material for a basement is typically constructed from concrete.
- The resounding sounds of the bass singers and the bass instruments filled the music hall.
Article Summary
Is base or bass correct? The identical pronunciation is likely the cause for pause when choosing one of these words. Keep in mind, if you want the noun or verb for something fundamental, choose base \bās\. If you need something that deals with music or tone, pick bass \bās\.
But if you are fishing, you might want to remember to sink your line lower to catch a bass \bäs\.
- Base \bās\ is a versatile word, functioning as a noun, verb, or adjective.
- Bass \bās\ is a noun or an adjective.