Which statement best defines homophones?

Which statement best defines homophones?

• A. Words that rhyme
• B. Words that sound the same but may have different spellings and meanings
• C. Words that have opposite meanings
• D. Words that have the same spelling and meaning

Answer: (B)

Homophones are words that sound the same but may have different spellings and meanings. This is exactly what the statement describes: two or more words that share pronunciation even though they are written differently and have different definitions. For example, knight and night sound identical but have different spellings and different meanings, and to, too, and two also share the same sound with different spellings and uses. That’s why this option is the best fit. The other ideas describe related language features but don’t define homophones: rhyming focuses on ending sounds, not the exact pronunciation of whole words; opposites refer to antonyms; and words with the same spelling and meaning aren’t a pair with different spellings.

Homophones are words that sound the same but may have different spellings and meanings. This is exactly what the statement describes: two or more words that share pronunciation even though they are written differently and have different definitions. For example, knight and night sound identical but have different spellings and different meanings, and to, too, and two also share the same sound with different spellings and uses.

That’s why this option is the best fit. The other ideas describe related language features but don’t define homophones: rhyming focuses on ending sounds, not the exact pronunciation of whole words; opposites refer to antonyms; and words with the same spelling and meaning aren’t a pair with different spellings.