immanent, imminent

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

The answer is simple: immanent, imminent are homophones of the English language.

immanent
  1. :: adjective

    Existing or remaining within; inherent: believed in a God immanent in humans.

  2. :: adjective

    Restricted entirely to the mind; subjective.

imminent
  1. :: adjective

    About to occur; impending: in imminent danger.

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").