# sole

> English word · Adjective · IPA /səʊl/ · frequency rank #4,411

## Definitions
1. Only.
2. Unmarried (especially of a woman); widowed.
3. Unique; unsurpassed.
4. With independent power; unfettered.

## Etymology
From Middle English sole, soule, from Old French sol, soul (“alone”), from Latin sōlus (“alone, single, solitary, lonely”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swé (reflexive pronoun). Perhaps related to Old Latin sollus (“whole, complete”), from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- (“safe, healthy”). More at save.

## Easily confused with
- **son** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-son)
- **sue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-sue)
- **sox** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-sox)
- **soy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-soy)
- **sow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-sow)
- **SQL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-sql)
- **SOS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-sos)
- **som** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-som)
- **SSE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-sse)
- **Sul** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-sul)
- **sop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-sop)
- **sou** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-sou)
- **SPL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-spl)
- **sor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-sor)
- **sot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-sot)
- **sov** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-sov)
- **some** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-some)
- **sure** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-sure)
- **soon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-soon)
- **song** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sole-vs-song)

## Common misspellings (5)
`osle`, `sloe`, `soel`, `solle`, `ssole`

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