steel and steele are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. steel means “an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range”. steele means “English writer (1672-1729)”.
/ˈstil/
1.n.an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
2.n.a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard
3.n.knife sharpener consisting of a ridged steel rod
/ˈstil/
| steel | steele | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈstil/ | /ˈstil/ |
| Said | steel | steel |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 5 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun |
| Senses | 5 | 1 |
| How common | Common | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | Sir Richrd Steele |
Full entry for steel · Full entry for steele · More comparisons
1.n.English writer (1672-1729)