aisle

/aɪ̯l/

//aɪ̯l// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"aisle" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“aisle” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,804 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#10,804
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A wing of a building, notably in a church separated from the nave proper by piers.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

aisle vs ale
60% similar
aisle vs ASL
0% similar
aisle vs arse
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for aisle
PropertyValue
Headwordaisle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/aɪ̯l/
Letters5
Frequency rank#10,804
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “aisle” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). aisle lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for aisle is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /aɪ̯l/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,804 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for aisle, with forms such as "ailse", "aisel", and "aislle". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ale", "ASL", "arse", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English ele, from Middle French aisle (“wing”) (Modern French aile), from Latin āla (whence English ala). Further from Latin axis (whence English axis, atelier). Via Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs- cognate with English axle, Ancient Greek ἄξων (áxōn… The correct English form is aisle, spelled A-I-S-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A wing of a building, notably in a church separated from the nave proper by piers.
  2. 2
    A clear path/passage through rows of seating.
  3. 3
    A clear corridor in a supermarket with shelves on both sides containing goods for sale.
  4. 4
    Any path through an otherwise obstructed space.
  5. 5
    Seat in public transport, such as a plane, train or bus, that's beside the aisle.
  6. 6
    An idiomatic divide between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, who are said to be on two sides of the aisle.
  7. 7
    The path of a wedding procession in a church or other venue; (by extension, metonymic) marriage.

Etymology

From Middle English ele, from Middle French aisle (“wing”) (Modern French aile), from Latin āla (whence English ala). Further from Latin axis (whence English axis, atelier). Via Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs- cognate with English axle, Ancient Greek ἄξων (áxōn) (whence English axo-, axon).

Synonyms

isleaisle seat

Antonyms

windowwindow seat

This word in other languages

nave(Español)allée(Français)Seitenschiff(Deutsch)nave(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ailse,aisel,aislle,aissle,asile,iasle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of aisle - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ailse2aisel2aislle1aissle1asile2iasle2
Edit distance from "aisle"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "aisle"?
"aisle" is spelled A-I-S-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /aɪ̯l/.
What does "aisle" mean?
As a noun, "aisle" means: A wing of a building, notably in a church separated from the nave proper by piers.
What words are commonly confused with "aisle"?
"aisle" is commonly confused with "ale", "ASL", "arse". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "aisle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "aisle" is /aɪ̯l/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "aisle"?
From Middle English ele, from Middle French aisle (“wing”) (Modern French aile), from Latin āla (whence English ala). Further from Latin axis (whence English axis, atelier). Via Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs- cognate with English axle, Ancient Greek ... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “aisle”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-I-S-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /aɪ̯l/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “ale” - see the side-by-side comparison. aisle vs ale
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list