martin, marten

Martin or martin is the name of a small wild bird--
He put a purple martin house on a pole in the back yard.
That bird looks like a martin, but I'm not sure.

Marten or marten ( rhymes with martin, almost ) means wild creature something like a weasel--
The dog saw a marten, and he's chasing it.
Marten stoles were once fashionable.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"There is a marten in the yard, sitting under the birdhouse, hoping to catch a martin."

Note--"Martin" is a man's given name--
Martin Luther might be considered the first protestant.
"Martin" or "Marten" are also surnames--
Do you spell that "Marten" or "Martin"?