Which to use
“ell” is a noun and “els” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #39,191
- “ell” frequency rank
- #25,615
- “els” frequency rank
- 64806
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ell | els |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Codo; antigua medida inglesa especialmente utilizada para medir telas que equivalía a 114,3 centímetros (45 pulgadas). | Grafía obsoleta de else. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ell and els apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: ell is anoun and elsanadverb. On the page they differ by a single letter - l in “ell” becomes s in “els”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 64806, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ell is recorded at frequency rank #39,191, classified as anoun, pronounced [eɫ]. els is at rank #25,615, tagged as anadv.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 64806, this pair ranks #44,511 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of ell vs els
Shared letters: el. Private to "ell": -. Private to "els": s.
"ell" · 3 letters · shape VCC · "els" · 3 letters · shape VCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ell" and "els" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ell" or "els"?
Remembering ell vs els
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “ell”; for an adverb, it's “els”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ell” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable