wood, would

The words wood, would sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Why do wood, would sound the same even though they are completely different words?

The answer is simple: wood, would are homophones of the English language.

wood
  1. :: adjective

    Used or suitable for cutting, storing, or working with wood.

  2. :: noun

    The secondary xylem of trees and shrubs, lying beneath the bark and consisting largely of cellulose and lignin.

  3. :: noun

    This tissue, often cut and dried especially for use as building material and fuel.

  4. :: noun

    A dense growth of trees or underbrush covering a relatively small or confined area. Often used in the plural.

would
  1. :: auxiliary-verb

    Used to express desire or intent: She said she would meet us at the corner.

  2. :: auxiliary-verb

    Used to express a wish: Would that we had gone with you!

  3. :: auxiliary-verb

    Used after a statement of desire, request, or advice: I wish you would stay.

  4. :: auxiliary-verb

    Used to make a polite request: Would you go with me?

Definitions from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition and Wordnik.

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About Homophones

Homophones (literally "same sound") are usually defined as words that share the same pronunciation, regardless of how they are spelled.

If they are spelled the same then they are also homographs (and homonyms); if they are spelled differently then they are also heterographs (literally "different writing").