# berth, birth

> English homophone group · 2 words that sound the same · /bɜːθ/

These English words share one pronunciation but differ in spelling and meaning.

## The words

### berth
*/bɜːθ/*
Chiefly in wide berth: a sufficient space in the water for a ship or other vessel to lie at anchor or manoeuvre without getting in the way of other vessels, or colliding into rocks or the shore.

### birth
*/bɜːθ/*
The process of childbearing; the beginning of life; the emergence of a human baby or other viviparous animal offspring from the mother's body into the environment.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA); groups derived from IPA pronunciation. Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/homophones/berth