Axel or axle?
axel is a noun meaning “A jump that includes one (or more than one) complete turn and a half turn while…”; axle is a noun meaning “The pin or spindle on which a wheel revolves, or which revolves with a wheel”. They sound the same (/ˈæk.səl/). In written English (wordfreq, 2021 data) axle is about 1.6 times as common as axel.
What is the difference between axel and axle?
| axel | axle | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | noun, verb | noun |
| Meaning | A jump that includes one (or more than one) complete turn and a half turn while in the air To perform a jump of this kind | The pin or spindle on which a wheel revolves, or which revolves with a wheel A transverse bar or shaft connecting the opposite wheels of a car or carriage; an axletree |
| Example | none recorded | rear axle |
| Forms | axels | axles |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæk.səl/ | /ˈæksəl/ |
| In writing | 1.9 times per million words | 3.1 times per million words |
Sources: axel and axle in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of axel and axle
axel
- 1
A jump that includes one (or more than one) complete turn and a half turn while in the air
- 2
To perform a jump of this kind
axle
- 1
The pin or spindle on which a wheel revolves, or which revolves with a wheel
rear axle
- 2
A transverse bar or shaft connecting the opposite wheels of a car or carriage; an axletree
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, axel or axle?
axel appears 1.9 times per million words; axle 3.1 times per million words.
axel 1.9 times per million wordsaxle 3.1 times per million words
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How many people search axel vs axle?
“axel vs axle” is searched about 1,300 times a month on Google and 70 on Bing in the United States. Google counts close variants of a query together (“axle vs axel”, “axel or axle”).
Sources: Google Ads keyword data through DataForSEO and Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, the average month from September 2025 to August 2026.