# elk

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɛlk/ · frequency rank #15,157

## Definitions
1. Any of various large species of deer such as the red deer, moose or wapiti (see usage notes).
2. Any of various large species of deer such as the red deer, moose or wapiti (see usage notes).
3. Any of various large species of deer such as the red deer, moose or wapiti (see usage notes).

## Etymology
From Middle English elk, from Old English eolc, eolh (“elk”), from Proto-West Germanic *elh, from Proto-Germanic *elhaz, *algiz (“elk”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁élḱis, *h₁ólḱis, variant of *h₁elh₁én, from *h₁el- (“deer”).
See also Low German Elk, German Elch, Danish elg, Norwegian elg, Swedish älg; also Polish łoś, Russian лось (losʹ), Vedic Sanskrit ऋश्य (ṛ́śya, “antelope”); also German Elen, Tocharian A yäl, Tocharian B ylem (“gazelle”), Lithuanian élnis (“stag”), Armenian եղնիկ (eġnik, “doe, hind”). Doublet of Elhaz.

## Easily confused with
- **ex** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-ex)
- **et** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-et)
- **EU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-eu)
- **em** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-em)
- **en** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-en)
- **er** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-er)
- **EP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-ep)
- **ES** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-es)
- **EV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-ev)
- **ew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-ew)
- **ey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-ey)
- **ez** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-ez)
- **eo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-eo)
- **end** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-end)
- **eye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-eye)
- **era** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-era)
- **eve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-eve)
- **est** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-est)
- **EPA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-epa)
- **EVA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elk-vs-eva)

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