done, dun

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

The answer is simple: done, dun are homophones of the English language.

done
  1. :: verb

    Past participle of do1.

  2. :: adjective

    Having been carried out or accomplished; finished: a done deed.

  3. :: adjective

    Cooked adequately.

  4. :: adjective

    Socially acceptable: Spitting on the street is just not done in polite society.

dun
  1. :: verb-transitive

    To importune (a debtor) for payment: a dunning letter.

  2. :: noun

    One that duns.

  3. :: noun

    An importunate demand for payment.

  4. :: noun

    An almost neutral brownish gray to dull grayish brown.

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").