jive, gyve

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

The answer is simple: jive, gyve are homophones of the English language.

gyve
  1. :: noun

    A shackle or fetter, especially for the leg.

  2. :: verb-transitive

    To shackle or fetter.

jive
  1. :: noun

    Jazz or swing music.

  2. :: noun

    The jargon of jazz musicians and enthusiasts.

  3. :: noun

    Slang Deceptive, nonsensical, or glib talk: "the sexist, locker-room jive of men boasting and bonding” ( Trip Gabriel).

  4. :: verb-intransitive

    To play or dance to jive music.

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").