What do you call words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings?

• A. Homophone
• B. Synonym
• C. Antonym
• D. Heteronym

Answer: (A)

Words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings are called homophones. The important idea is that their pronunciation is identical, even though they look different and carry different meanings. For example, knight and night sound alike but refer to very different things, and to, two, and too share a sound while having distinct meanings and spellings.

Understanding how this differs from related terms helps: synonyms are words with similar meanings, antonyms are words with opposite meanings, and heteronyms are words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently with different meanings. Homophones focus on the same sound across different spellings and meanings. Context is key to choosing the correct word in writing.