homophone
homophone Lexical Profile
homophone Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A word that is pronounced the same as another word, whether spelled the same or differently, but has a different meaning or origin.
"The words 'knew' and 'new' are classic examples of English homophones that often trip up young spellers."
A letter, character, or phonetic symbol that represents the same speech sound as another symbol.
"In certain contexts, the letters 'c' and 'k' act as homophones representing the exact same consonant sound."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse a 'homophone' (words that sound the same, like 'two' and 'too') with a 'homograph' (words that are spelled the same, like 'bow' of a ship and 'bow' and arrow) or a 'homonym' (which can refer to either or strictly to words that share both spelling and pronunciation).
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 17th century from French 'homophone', via Late Latin from Ancient Greek 'homōphonos' (sounding the same), formed from 'homos' (same) and 'phōnē' (voice or sound).