# Ishmael

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈɪʃ.meɪ.əl/ · frequency rank #35,366

## Definitions
1. The eldest son of Abraham and his wife's handmaiden Hagar who were cast out after the birth of Isaac; traditionally the ancestor of the Arabs via the Ishmaelites.
2. A male given name from Hebrew.

## Etymology
From Hebrew יִשְׁמָעֵאל (yishma'él (yišmāʿēl), “God hears, God will hear”). Doublet of Ismail.

## Easily confused with
- **Israel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ishmael-vs-israel)
- **Ismail** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ishmael-vs-ismail)

## Common misspellings (10)
`ihsmael`, `ishamel`, `ishhmael`, `ishmaell`, `ishmale`, `ishmeal`, `ishmmael`, `ismhael`, `isshmael`, `sihmael`

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