"a word pronounced the same as another (whether spelled the same or not) but different in meaning," 1843, from the adjective homophone (1620s), from Greek homos "same" (see homo- (1)) + phone "sound," from PIE root *bha- (2) "to speak, tell, say" (see fame (n.)). Related: Homophonic.[homophone etymology, homophone origin, 英语词源]