manner, manor

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

The answer is simple: manner, manor are homophones of the English language.

manner
  1. :: noun

    A way of doing something or the way in which a thing is done or happens. See Synonyms at method.

  2. :: noun

    A way of acting; bearing or behavior.

  3. :: noun

    The socially correct way of acting; etiquette.

  4. :: noun

    The prevailing customs, social conduct, and norms of a specific society, period, or group, especially as the subject of a literary work.

manor
  1. :: noun

    A landed estate.

  2. :: noun

    The main house on an estate; a mansion.

  3. :: noun

    A tract of land in certain North American colonies with hereditary rights granted to the proprietor by royal charter.

  4. :: noun

    The district over which a lord had domain and could exercise certain rights and privileges in medieval western Europe.

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").