wail
/ˈweɪl/
verbnoun
Familiar
1.v.emit long loud cries
“wail in self-pity”
2.v.cry weakly or softly
“she wailed with pain”
3.n.a cry of sorrow and grief
“their pitiful laments could be heard throughout the ward”
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wail and whale are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. wail means “emit long loud cries”. whale means “a very large person; impressive in size or qualities”. whale is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈweɪl/
1.v.emit long loud cries
“wail in self-pity”
2.v.cry weakly or softly
“she wailed with pain”
3.n.a cry of sorrow and grief
“their pitiful laments could be heard throughout the ward”
/ˈweɪl/
| wail | whale | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈweɪl/ | /ˈweɪl/ |
| Said | wayl | wayl |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 4 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | noun, verb |
| Senses | 3 | 3 |
| How common | Familiar | Common |
| Synonyms | howl, ululate, roar | giant, hulk, heavyweight |
Full entry for wail · Full entry for whale · More comparisons
1.n.a very large person; impressive in size or qualities
2.n.any of the larger cetacean mammals having a streamlined body and breathing through a blowhole on the head
3.v.hunt for whales