Which statement describes homophones?

• A. Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings or meanings.
• B. Homophones are words that have different pronunciations but identical spellings.
• C. Homophones are words that are always plural.
• D. Homophones are words with identical meanings.

Answer: (A)

Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. The statement matches this idea by stressing that the pronunciation is identical while the spellings (and meanings) differ. For example, knight and night sound alike but are spelled differently and refer to different things; flour and flower also rhyme but have different spellings and meanings. If a pair shared pronunciation but the same spelling or the same meaning, it wouldn’t be a homophone.