7 Javascript Homophones

Photo by Ano Tome on Unsplash

Let’s talk about homophones — words that sound the same but mean completely different things. They’re fun in English, but did you know they also exist in programming? It’s true! You might be coding away, only to trip over a word that looks familiar but behaves completely differently.

So, grab a cup of coffee and explore some of the most common programming “homophones” that can mess with your mind.

1. == vs ===: The Great Equality Debate

These two operators both mean “equals” but in very different ways.

• == (double equals) checks if values are the same but ignore their type. It’s like saying, "Hey, I don't care if you’re a string or a number, as long as you look alike!"
• === (triple equals) is stricter. It checks both value and type. It’s like saying, "I want the exact match—no funny business!"

Example:

5 == '5' // true
5 === '5' // false

Moral of the story: If you don’t want sneaky bugs, stick to ===!

2. this vs This: Context Matters

In JavaScript, this refers to the object it belongs to. It’s like a GPS—it tells you where you are.