Do you have a guardian angle watching over you? And if so, is it acute or obtuse? Oh, wait. We may have confused the words ‘angel’ and ‘angle’ there. It’s an easy mistake, as you can’t rely on divine intervention to ensure perfect spelling. But you can check out our guide to what these terms mean.
Angel (Guardian Spirit or Divine Messenger)
‘Angel’ is a noun that refers to a spiritual being or a messenger from God:
He was visited by an angel from the Lord.
We often picture angels as human-like figures in robes with wings, haloes and harps. But there is one part of the Bible that describes them as having ‘six wings . . . covered all over with eyes, inside and out’, which is a little more horrifying than the ones we see in churches or as statues.
(Photo: Evelyn Simak)
Sometimes, we also use ‘angel’ to suggest that someone is morally good:
She’s such a well-behaved little angel!
This does not mean that the person in question has scary, eye-covered wings, though. In this case, it simply suggests angelic behaviour.
Angle (Space Between Intersecting Lines)
Used as a noun, ‘angle’ usually refers to the space between intersecting lines or surfaces. For example, we could say:
The internal angles in a triangle always add up to 180 degrees.
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But we can also use ‘angle’ as a verb meaning ‘position at an angle or incline’:
She angled her visor to protect her eyes from the sun.
‘Angle’ also has some secondary meanings. As a noun, for example, it can mean ‘a point of view or approach’. And as a verb, it can mean ‘position for a particular audience’. For instance:
We need a new angle if we’re going to attract more viewers.
The new edition is angled at younger readers.
Finally, ‘angling’ is also a word for fishing with hooks. This is quite a specialist usage, though, so you will not see ‘angle’ used this way very often.
Summary: Angel or Angle?
These words may contain the same letters, but they do not mean the same thing (nor do they sound the same when spoken):
- Angel is a noun that refers to a guardian spirit or divine messenger.
- Angle is usually a noun that refers to the space between two intersecting lines. However, it can also be a verb meaning ‘incline at an angle’.
If you struggle to remember which is which, keep in mind that the ‘-gel’ in ‘angel’ is pronounced the same as in ‘hair gel’ (you could even imagine an angel gelling its hair, if that helps). And to guard against typos, we recommend having your work proofread by a professional.