chute, shoot

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

The answer is simple: chute, shoot are homophones of the English language.

chute
  1. :: noun

    An inclined trough, passage, or channel through or down which things may pass.

  2. :: noun

    A waterfall or rapid.

  3. :: noun

    A parachute.

  4. :: verb-transitive

    To convey or deposit by a chute.

shoot
  1. :: verb-transitive

    To hit, wound, or kill with a missile fired from a weapon.

  2. :: verb-transitive

    To remove or destroy by firing or projecting a missile: shot out the window.

  3. :: verb-transitive

    To make (a hole, for example) by firing a weapon.

  4. :: verb-transitive

    To fire or let fly (a missile) from a weapon.

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").