The words homogeneous and heterogeneous come from Medieval Latin homogeneus and heterogeneus, from Ancient Greek ?u?????? (homogenes) and ?????????? (heterogenes), from ?u?? (homos, "same") and ?????? (heteros, "other, another, different") respectively, followed by ????? (genos, "kind"); -ous is an adjectival suffix.

Alternate spellings omitting the last -e- (and the associated pronunciations) are common, but mistaken: homogenous is strictly