c, cee, sea, see

The words c, cee, sea, see sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Why do c, cee, sea, see sound the same even though they are completely different words?

The answer is simple: c, cee, sea, see are homophones of the English language.

c
  1. :: noun

    The third letter of the modern English alphabet.

  2. :: noun

    Any of the speech sounds represented by the letter c.

  3. :: noun

    The third in a series.

  4. :: noun

    Something shaped like the letter C.

cee
  1. :: noun

    The letter c.

sea
  1. :: noun

    The continuous body of salt water covering most of the earth's surface, especially this body regarded as a geophysical entity distinct from earth and sky.

  2. :: noun

    A tract of water within an ocean.

  3. :: noun

    A relatively large body of salt water completely or partially enclosed by land.

  4. :: noun

    A relatively large landlocked body of fresh water.

see
  1. :: phrasal-verb

    see about To investigate.

  2. :: verb-transitive

    To perceive with the eye.

  3. :: verb-transitive

    To apprehend as if with the eye.

  4. :: verb-transitive

    To detect by means analogous to use of the eye: an electronic surveillance camera that saw the activity in the embassy yard.

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").