b, be, bee

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

The answer is simple: b, be, bee are homophones of the English language.

b
  1. :: noun

    The second letter of the modern English alphabet.

  2. :: noun

    Any of the speech sounds represented by the letter b.

  3. :: noun

    The second in a series.

  4. :: noun

    Something shaped like the letter B.

be
  1. :: verb-intransitive

    To exist in actuality; have life or reality: I think, therefore I am.

  2. :: verb-intransitive

    To occupy a specified position: The food is on the table.

  3. :: verb-intransitive

    To remain in a certain state or situation undisturbed, untouched, or unmolested: Let the children be.

  4. :: verb-intransitive

    To take place; occur: The test was yesterday.

bee
  1. :: noun

    Any of several winged, hairy-bodied, usually stinging insects of the superfamily Apoidea in the order Hymenoptera, including both solitary and social species and characterized by sucking and chewing mouthparts for gathering nectar and pollen.

  2. :: noun

    A bumblebee.

  3. :: noun

    A honeybee.

  4. :: noun

    A social gathering where people combine work, competition, and amusement: a quilting bee.

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").