incite, insight

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

The answer is simple: incite, insight are homophones of the English language.

incite
  1. :: verb-transitive

    To provoke and urge on: troublemakers who incite riots; inciting workers to strike. See Synonyms at provoke.

insight
  1. :: noun

    The capacity to discern the true nature of a situation; penetration.

  2. :: noun

    The act or outcome of grasping the inward or hidden nature of things or of perceiving in an intuitive manner.

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").