bail
/ˈbeɪl/
verbnoun
Common
1.v.release after a security has been paid
2.v.deliver something in trust to somebody for a special purpose and for a limited period
3.v.secure the release of (someone) by providing security
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bail and bale are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. bail means “release after a security has been paid”. bale means “a large bundle bound for storage or transport”. bail is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbeɪl/
1.v.release after a security has been paid
2.v.deliver something in trust to somebody for a special purpose and for a limited period
3.v.secure the release of (someone) by providing security
/ˈbeɪl/
| bail | bale | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbeɪl/ | /ˈbeɪl/ |
| Said | bayl | bayl |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 4 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | noun, verb |
| Senses | 7 | 3 |
| How common | Common | Familiar |
| Synonyms | none recorded | none recorded |
Full entry for bail · Full entry for bale · More comparisons
1.n.a large bundle bound for storage or transport
2.n.a city in northwestern Switzerland
3.v.make into a bale
“bale hay”