eagle

/ˈiːɡəl/

//ˈiːɡəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“eagle” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,785 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,785
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of several large carnivorous and carrion-eating birds in the family Accipitridae, having a powerful hooked bill and keen vision.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

eagle vs ele
60% similar
eagle vs edge
60% similar
eagle vs ease
60% similar

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

Key facts for eagle
PropertyValue
Headwordeagle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈiːɡəl/
Letters5
Frequency rank#5,785
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “eagle” 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). eagle 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 eagle is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈiːɡəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,785 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 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 eagle, with forms such as "aegle", "eagel", and "eaggle". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "ele", "edge", "ease", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English egle, from Anglo-Norman egle, from Old French aigle, from Latin aquila. Displaced native Middle English ern, earn, arn, from Old English earn (“eagle”). More at erne. The correct English form is eagle, spelled E-A-G-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of several large carnivorous and carrion-eating birds in the family Accipitridae, having a powerful hooked bill and keen vision.
  2. 2
    A gold coin with a face value of ten dollars, formerly used in the United States.
  3. 3
    A 13th-century coin minted in Europe and circulated in England as a debased sterling silver penny, outlawed under Edward I of England.
  4. 4
    A score of two under par for a hole.

Etymology

From Middle English egle, from Anglo-Norman egle, from Old French aigle, from Latin aquila. Displaced native Middle English ern, earn, arn, from Old English earn (“eagle”). More at erne.

This word in other languages

águila(Español)aigle(Français)Adler(Deutsch)águia(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aegle,eagel,eaggle,eaglle,ealge,egale

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of eagle - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

aegle2eagel2eaggle1eaglle1ealge2egale2
Edit distance from "eagle"

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 "eagle"?
"eagle" is spelled E-A-G-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈiːɡəl/.
What does "eagle" mean?
As a noun, "eagle" means: Any of several large carnivorous and carrion-eating birds in the family Accipitridae, having a powerful hooked bill and keen vision.
What words are commonly confused with "eagle"?
"eagle" is commonly confused with "ele", "edge", "ease". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "eagle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "eagle" is /ˈiːɡəl/. 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 "eagle"?
From Middle English egle, from Anglo-Norman egle, from Old French aigle, from Latin aquila. Displaced native Middle English ern, earn, arn, from Old English earn (“eagle”). More at erne. 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 “eagle”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-A-G-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈiːɡəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “ele” - see the side-by-side comparison. eagle vs ele
  • 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