Which to use
“ile” and “isle” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #34,534
- “ile” frequency rank
- #9,198
- “isle” frequency rank
- 43732
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ile | isle |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Alternative form of ail (“awn”). | An island, usually very small. Compare with islet. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ile and isle apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. ile (/aɪl/) and isle (/aɪ̯l/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43732, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ile is recorded at frequency rank #34,534, classified as anoun, pronounced /aɪl/. isle is at rank #9,198, tagged as anoun, pronounced /aɪ̯l/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 43732, this pair ranks #237,190 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ile vs isle
Shared letters: eil. Private to "ile": -. Private to "isle": s.
"ile" · 3 letters · shape VCV · "isle" · 4 letters · shape VCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- isle ← ilse · isel · islle · issle · sile
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ile" and "isle" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ile" or "isle"?
Remembering ile vs isle
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ile” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable