dhole, dole

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

The answer is simple: dhole, dole are homophones of the English language.

dhole
  1. :: noun

    A wild Asian dog (Cuon alpinus) having reddish fur and usually hunting with a pack.

dole
  1. :: noun

    Charitable dispensation of goods, especially money, food, or clothing.

  2. :: noun

    A share of money, food, or clothing that has been charitably given.

  3. :: noun

    Chiefly British The distribution by the government of relief payments to the unemployed; welfare.

  4. :: noun

    Archaic One's fate.

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").