# eel

> English word · Noun · IPA /iːl/ · frequency rank #21,505

## Definitions
1. Any freshwater fish of the order Anguilliformes, which are elongated and resemble snakes.
2. A European eel (Anguilla anguilla).
3. Various other animals that resemble true eels, chiefly in shape:
4. Various other animals that resemble true eels, chiefly in shape:
5. Various other animals that resemble true eels, chiefly in shape:
6. Various other animals that resemble true eels, chiefly in shape:
7. Various other animals that resemble true eels, chiefly in shape:
8. Various other animals that resemble true eels, chiefly in shape:
9. Various other animals that resemble true eels, chiefly in shape:
10. Various other animals that resemble true eels, chiefly in shape:
11. Various other animals that resemble true eels, chiefly in shape:
12. Various other animals that resemble true eels, chiefly in shape:
13. Someone or something that is sneaky and/or hard to catch.

## Etymology
From Middle English el (“eel”), from Old English ǣl (“eel”), from Proto-West Germanic *āl (“eel”), from Proto-Germanic *ēlaz (“eel”), which is of unknown origin.
Cognates
Cognate with West Frisian iel (“eel”), Dutch aal (“eel”), German Low German Aal, Ool (“eel”), German Aal (“eel”), Danish, Norn, Norwegian, and Swedish ål (“eel”), Faroese állur, álur (“eel”), Icelandic áll (“eel”).

## Easily confused with
- **ex** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-ex)
- **et** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-et)
- **EU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-eu)
- **em** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-em)
- **el** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-el)
- **en** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-en)
- **eh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-eh)
- **er** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-er)
- **EP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-ep)
- **ES** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-es)
- **EV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-ev)
- **ew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-ew)
- **ey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-ey)
- **ef** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-ef)
- **ez** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-ez)
- **Ek** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-ek)
- **EI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-ei)
- **eo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-eo)
- **EJ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-ej)
- **end** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eel-vs-end)

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