What term describes words that sound alike but have different meanings, such as "sea" and "see"?

The correct answer is homophones. Homophones refer to words that sound the same when pronounced but have different meanings and often different spellings. Examples include "sea" (the large body of saltwater) and "see" (to perceive with the eyes). This characteristic of sounding alike while differing in meaning is what distinguishes homophones from other types of word relationships.

Synonyms refer to words that have similar meanings, not to words that sound alike. Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings, which is unrelated to sound. Heteronyms are words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently and have different meanings, such as "lead" (to guide) and "lead" (a type of metal). Understanding homophones is particularly important in the study of language and phonetics, as they can often lead to confusion in both writing and speech if not properly differentiated.