Answer :
Final answer:
Homophones are words that sound alike but have different meanings and sometimes different spellings, such as 'would' and 'wood'. They differ from homonyms, which share spelling and pronunciation but differ in meaning, and synonyms, which share meaning.
Explanation:
Pairs of words that are pronounced almost the same way but have different meanings are known as homophones. These are words that sound alike but may have different spellings and definitively different meanings. For example, 'would' and 'wood' are homophones; they sound the same when spoken but have unrelated meanings.
This differs from homonyms, which are words that are both spelled and pronounced the same way but have different meanings, and synonyms, which are different words with the same or similar meanings. Recognizing homophones is essential because automated spell checkers may not distinguish between them due to their identical pronunciation.
In conclusion, to answer the student's question, homophones are the words that fit the described characteristic of having the same pronunciation but different meanings and possibly different spellings.
