whys, wise, wyes

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

The answer is simple: whys, wise, wyes are homophones of the English language.

whys
  1. :: noun

    Plural form of why.

wise
  1. :: adjective

    Having the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; sagacious: a wise leader.

  2. :: adjective

    Exhibiting common sense; prudent: a wise decision.

  3. :: adjective

    Shrewd; crafty.

  4. :: adjective

    Having great learning; erudite.

wyes
  1. :: noun

    Plural form of wye.

  2. :: noun

    Plural form of wy.

Definitions from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License, 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").