sou, sue

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

The answer is simple: sou, sue are homophones of the English language.

sou
  1. :: noun

    One of several coins formerly used in France, worth a small amount.

sue
  1. :: verb-transitive

    Law To petition (a court) for redress of grievances or recovery of a right.

  2. :: verb-transitive

    Law To institute proceedings against (a person) for redress of grievances.

  3. :: verb-transitive

    Law To carry (an action) through to a final decision.

  4. :: verb-transitive

    To court; woo.

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").