sari, sorry

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

The answer is simple: sari, sorry are homophones of the English language.

sari
  1. :: noun

    An outer garment worn chiefly by women of India and Pakistan, consisting of a length of lightweight cloth with one end wrapped about the waist to form a skirt and the other draped over the shoulder or covering the head.

sorry
  1. :: adjective

    Feeling or expressing sympathy, pity, or regret: I'm sorry I'm late.

  2. :: adjective

    Worthless or inferior; paltry: a sorry excuse.

  3. :: adjective

    Causing sorrow, grief, or misfortune; grievous: a sorry development.

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").