The words sweater, sweater sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Why do sweater, sweater sound the same even though they are completely different words?
The answer is simple: sweater, sweater are homophones of the English language.
A jacket or pullover made especially of knit, crocheted, or woven wool, cotton, or synthetic yarn.
One that sweats, especially profusely.
Something that induces sweating; a sudorific.
One who sweats.
A jacket or pullover made especially of knit, crocheted, or woven wool, cotton, or synthetic yarn.
One that sweats, especially profusely.
Something that induces sweating; a sudorific.
One who sweats.
Definitions from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition., from The Century Dictionary. and Wordnik.
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").