# gaol, jail

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

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

## The words

### gaol
*/d͡ʒeɪl/*
Dated spelling of jail.

### jail
*/d͡ʒeɪl/*
A place or institution for the confinement of persons held against their will in lawful custody or detention, especially (in US usage) a place where people are held for minor offenses or with reference to some future judicial proceeding.

## 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/gaol