What is the difference between a cry of pain and a 190-ton marine mammal? Well, not a huge amount if you go by pronunciation. The words ‘wail’ and ‘whale’ sound identical, after all, which makes them easy to mix up. But these terms also refer to very different things, as we will now explain.
‘Wail’ can be a noun or a verb. In either case, it refers to a cry or scream:
Noun Usage: They heard the wail from upstairs.
Verb Usage: She wailed in sadness when she saw the news.
Typically, we use this sense of ‘wail’ to describe a high-pitched cry of pain, grief or anger. More rarely, though, ‘wail’ can be used to mean ‘play a tune exceptionally well’ (e.g. wailing on the saxophone). But this is largely old jazz slang, so it isn’t common in modern English.
‘Whale’ is almost always a noun and refers to a number of large sea mammals. For instance, we could use it in the following sentence:
Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.
We are going out in a boat to watch the whales later today.
There are many different types of whale, ranging from the relatively small dwarf sperm whale (usually around 9ft long) to the massive blue whale (up to 98ft long). But all of them are ‘whales’.
Finally, we can also use ‘whale’ as a verb to describe the act of hunting for whales (i.e. whaling or whale fishing). But this is illegal in the majority of countries now, so it is not commonly used in most situations.
‘Wail’ and ‘whale’ might sound alike, but they look very different written down. As such, it should be easy to tell these terms apart once you know what they mean. Remember the following distinction:
As a final note, try not to get either of these words confused with ‘Wales’, which is part of the UK. And if you’d like more help with spelling issues, submit a document for proofreading today.
Δ
3-minute read
Google Docs is a powerful collaborative tool, and mastering its features can significantly enhance your...
2-minute read
If you’re writing about health issues, you might need to reference the Centers for Disease...
5-minute read
Introduction If you’re involved with ecommerce, you’re likely familiar with the often painstaking process of...
Are you interested in learning more about the role of a content editor and the...
4-minute read
Proofreading is important to ensure your writing is clear and concise for your readers. Whether...
Creating presentations can be time-consuming and frustrating. Trying to construct a visually appealing and informative...