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eli

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

Letters

3 characters

Language

English

word origin

Source

Wiktionary

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Detailed reference entry for the English word "eli", 3-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "eli" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "eli" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

Eli is aEnglishname. It means: A male given name from Hebrew of Biblical origin. Pronounced /ˈilaɪ/. Often confused with ex and et.

Key facts for Eli
PropertyValue
HeadwordEli
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechName
IPA/ˈilaɪ/
Letters3
Frequency rank#10,534
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency rank visualization

Position of Eli in English word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for Eli is 3 letters long, classified as aname, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈilaɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,534 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it.Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No frequent misspelling variants are recorded for Eli in our index, suggesting the orthography either follows predictable English patterns or the word is uncommon enough that typo corpora lack signal.It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ex", "et", "EU", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Hebrew עֵלִי (“ascent”); cognate to the Arabic-derived Ali. Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is Eli, spelled E-L-I, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    A male given name from Hebrew of Biblical origin.
  2. 2
    The priest who brought up Samuel.

Etymology

From Hebrew עֵלִי (“ascent”); cognate to the Arabic-derived Ali.

This word in other languages

Frequency rank: #10,534 in English

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Eli"?
"Eli" is spelled E-L-I. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈilaɪ/.
What does "Eli" mean?
As a name, "Eli" means: A male given name from Hebrew of Biblical origin.
What words are commonly confused with "Eli"?
"Eli" is commonly confused with "ex", "et", "EU". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Eli"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Eli" is /ˈilaɪ/. 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 "Eli"?
From Hebrew עֵלִי (“ascent”); cognate to the Arabic-derived Ali. 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.

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter E in our English index:

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Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.