homophone
[ hom-uh-fohn, hoh-muh- ]
/ ˈhɒm əˌfoʊn, ˈhoʊ mə- /
noun
Phonetics.
a word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not, as heir and air.
a written element that represents the same spoken unit as another, as ks, a homophone of x in English.
Origin of homophone
First recorded in 1615–25; back formation from
homophonous
Words nearby homophone
homophil,
homophile,
homophily,
homophobe,
homophobia,
homophone,
homophones,
homophonic,
homophonous,
homophony,
homophyly
British Dictionary definitions for homophones
homophone
/ (ˈhɒməˌfəʊn) /
noun
one of a group of words pronounced in the same way but differing in meaning or spelling or both, as for example bear and bare
a written letter or combination of letters that represents the same speech sound as another
``ph'' is a homophone of ``f'' in English
Cultural definitions for homophones
homophones
[ (hom-uh-fohnz, hoh-muh-fohnz) ]
Two words that sound alike. This category includes words that are spelled the same, such as trunk (of an elephant) and trunk (a storage chest), as well as words spelled differently, such as deer and dear.