basks, basques

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

The answer is simple: basks, basques are homophones of the English language.

basks
  1. :: verb-intransitive

    To expose oneself to pleasant warmth.

  2. :: verb-intransitive

    To take great pleasure or satisfaction: "an opportunity to bask in the genteel applause of the faithful” ( Paul A. Witteman).

basques
  1. :: noun

    Plural form of basque.

Definitions from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition, from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License 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").