naval
/ˈneɪvəl/
adjective
Common
1.adj.connected with or belonging to or used in a navy
“naval history”
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naval and navel are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. naval means “connected with or belonging to or used in a navy”. navel means “a scar where the umbilical cord was attached”. naval is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈneɪvəl/
1.adj.connected with or belonging to or used in a navy
“naval history”
/ˈneɪvəl/
| naval | navel | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈneɪvəl/ | /ˈneɪvəl/ |
| Said | NAY-vuhl | NAY-vuhl |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 5 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | adjective | noun |
| Senses | 1 | 2 |
| How common | Common | Familiar |
| Synonyms | none recorded | umbilicus, bellybutton, belly button |
Full entry for naval · Full entry for navel · More comparisons
1.n.a scar where the umbilical cord was attached
“you were not supposed to show your navel on television”
2.n.the center point or middle of something
“the Incas believed that Cuzco was the navel of the universe”