Which term describes words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings?

Which term describes words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings?

• A. Homographs
• B. Homophones
• C. Antonyms
• D. Synonyms

Answer: (B)

Sound-alike words that have different spellings and meanings are called homophones. The key idea is they share the same pronunciation but differ in how they are written and what they mean. For example, night and knight sound identical, yet one refers to darkness and the other to a medieval warrior, with different spellings and definitions. In contrast, homographs are spelled the same but may be pronounced differently and have different meanings (like lead as in to guide vs. lead the metal). Antonyms are words with opposite meanings (hot vs. cold), and synonyms are words with similar meanings (happy vs. joyful).

Sound-alike words that have different spellings and meanings are called homophones. The key idea is they share the same pronunciation but differ in how they are written and what they mean. For example, night and knight sound identical, yet one refers to darkness and the other to a medieval warrior, with different spellings and definitions.

In contrast, homographs are spelled the same but may be pronounced differently and have different meanings (like lead as in to guide vs. lead the metal). Antonyms are words with opposite meanings (hot vs. cold), and synonyms are words with similar meanings (happy vs. joyful).