# Ishmael vs Israel

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### Ishmael
*name · IPA /ˈɪʃ.meɪ.əl/ · frequency rank #35,366*
The eldest son of Abraham and his wife's handmaiden Hagar who were cast out after the birth of Isaac; traditionally the ancestor of the Arabs via the Ishmaelites.

### Israel
*name · IPA /ˈɪz.ɹeɪ.əl/ · frequency rank #1,761*
A country in Western Asia in the Middle East, at the eastern shore of the Mediterranean. Official name: State of Israel.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ishmael-vs-israel