Which statement correctly defines a homophone?

Which statement correctly defines a homophone?

• A. A prefix attached to a root word.
• B. A word that rhymes with another word.
• C. Two words with the same meaning and spelling.
• D. Two different spellings and meanings, same pronunciation.

Answer: (D)

Homophones are words that sound the same when spoken but have different spellings and different meanings. The statement that two words share pronunciation while having different spellings and meanings fits this idea exactly, which is why it’s the best choice. For example, to, too, and two all sound identical but are spelled differently and mean different things. The other descriptions describe something else: a prefix attached to a root word is about word formation, not pronunciation; rhyming words share a similar ending sound but don’t have to be spoken identically or have different meanings; and two words with the same meaning and spelling are the same word or synonyms, not a case of sound-alike but differently spelled terms.