<kref type=syn> vs additional <k> tag for word/spelling variations

[Boyd Kelly]

Just wondering what might be the practical difference and or usage  or pros/cons of using additional <k> tags or using <sr><kref=syn> for word variations.  

 I am working with a fairly undocumented language which has a lot of spelling and actual pronuncation variations of the same word.   Someone could easily search for a given word 4 or more ways.