Hail vs. Hale: What's the Difference?
The English language often presents words that sound similar but have different meanings and spellings, like hail and hale. Hail is usually used as a verb to describe calling out to someone or something, like acclaiming or greeting, or as a noun that refers to frozen precipitation. Hale, on the other hand, is typically an adjective meaning healthy and strong, especially in the context of an elderly person.
How do you use the word hail in a sentence?
Hail is commonly used to signify salutation or acknowledgment towards someone, or in reference to a type of weather condition consisting of small ice pellets. You might hail a taxi on a busy street or hail a friend across a crowded room. In meteorological terms, hail refers to the pellets of frozen rain that fall during some storms.
Examples of hail in a sentence
- She heard the distant hail of her name amidst the chatter at the party.
- Dark clouds formed overhead, a sure sign that hail was imminent.
- Farmers often worry about the damage hail can cause to their crops.
How do you use the word hale in a sentence?
Hale is an adjective describing someone, often an older person, as being healthy, robust, and vigorous. It highlights physical well-being and is sometimes paired with its synonym hearty. Use hale when emphasizing the good health and strength of a person despite age or adversity.
Examples of hale in a sentence
- Despite his advanced age, the man remained hale and walked two miles every morning.
- Her grandfather is as hale as a horse, rarely even catching a cold.
- The wellness program has kept the retirees hale and active.
Hail and hale definition, parts of speech, and pronunciation
Hail definition:
As a verb, hail means to call out to someone in order to greet them or attract their attention. As a noun, it refers to pellets of frozen rain which fall in showers from cumulonimbus clouds.
Hail parts of speech:
Hail pronunciation:
Hail is pronounced as /heɪl/.
Hale definition:
Hale is an adjective that describes being free from disease or infirmity; robust; vigorous, especially in an elderly person.
Hale parts of speech:
Hale pronunciation:
Hale is pronounced as /heɪl/, identical to hail.
As a verb, hail means to call out to someone in order to greet them or attract their attention. As a noun, it refers to pellets of frozen rain which fall in showers from cumulonimbus clouds.
Hail parts of speech:
- As a verb: He will hail the first taxi he sees to get to the airport on time.
- As a noun: The garden was left battered after the hail storm last night.
Hail pronunciation:
Hail is pronounced as /heɪl/.
Hale definition:
Hale is an adjective that describes being free from disease or infirmity; robust; vigorous, especially in an elderly person.
Hale parts of speech:
- As an adjective: The hale marathon runner didn't look a day over forty.
- As an adjective in a comparative form: Her haler appearance after the vacation surprised her friends.
Hale pronunciation:
Hale is pronounced as /heɪl/, identical to hail.
Hail vs. hale in a nutshell
To sum it up, hail can be both a verb and a noun related to greetings or weather phenomena involving ice pellets while hale is an adjective denoting robust health, particularly in older individuals. Both hail and hale are pronounced the same way, but their contexts and meanings are distinct. Hail might be the shout you use to capture a friend’s attention or the icy downfall from a stormy sky. Hale, though sounding alike, is reserved for celebrating health and vitality, often surprising given someone’s age.
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