Dear Word Spy,
I was wondering, are hares called hares because they have a lot of hair?
from Andrew, wondering...
Dear Andrew,
Well, hares are pretty hairy, but even though the two words sound the same, that's the only way they are related. "Hare" comes from an Old English word "hara" and "hair" comes from a different Old English word "haer".
Words that sound the same but are spelled differently and mean different things are called HOMOPHONES. Which is quite a strange word in itself...
ever yours, The Whirred Spy
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