groan, grown

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

The answer is simple: groan, grown are homophones of the English language.

groan
  1. :: verb-intransitive

    To voice a deep, inarticulate sound, as of pain, grief, or displeasure.

  2. :: verb-intransitive

    To make a sound expressive of stress or strain: floorboards groaning.

  3. :: verb-transitive

    To utter or express with groans or a groan.

  4. :: noun

    The sound made in groaning.

grown
  1. :: verb

    Past participle of grow.

  2. :: adjective

    Having full growth; mature: a grown woman.

  3. :: adjective

    Produced or cultivated in a certain way or place: locally grown produce.

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").