Revised as of
18 June 2023
I can’t help it, every time I read the word isle, I get a flashback to Piers Anthony’s punny Xanth series and one novel in particular — the Isle of View.
Actually, an easy way to remember that isle is a small island (or peninsula) is to simply think of the British Isles. An island nation.
Compared to an isle, an aisle is much more open. It allows one to progress while an isle is more likely to bar one’s way.
I’ll is more abstract and is a contraction of a verb form — I will or I shall.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Aisle | I’ll | Isle |
|---|---|---|
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47 Chorin 06 by michael clarke stuff was uploaded by russavia and is under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. — An aisle at the former Cistercian monastery, Chorin, in Berlin. |
I’ll Awyays Be a Wild Thing – RIP Maurice Sendak by Seth Anderson is under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons |
Aerial View of Timilersua is Algkalv’s own work under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. — A lovely isle. |
| Part of Grammar: | ||
| Noun
Plural: aisles |
I will
Simple future Contraction (uses an apostrophe) |
Noun
Plural: isles |
| Passage between rows of seats in a building
Passage between shelves of goods [Architecture] Lower part parallel to and at the side of a nave, choir, or transept from which it is divided by pillars |
I shall
I will |
[Chiefly literary or poetic] Island or peninsula, usually small |
| Examples: | ||
| Her father led her up the aisle at her wedding.
And there was dancing in the aisles. The peaches are in aisle four. Piers Anthony’s Centaur Aisle is pretty funny as well. |
I’ll be home for Christmas.
I’ll see what’s keeping her. I’ll be right back. I’ll eat my hat! |
She lives on a small isle in the Mediterranean.
England has been referred to as the British Isles. It was a small isle of sunlight in which the lass spun. |
| Derivatives: | ||
| Adjective: aisled | ||
| History of the Word: | ||
| Late Middle English ele, ile, from the Old French ele, which is from the Latin ala meaning wing.
The spelling change in the 17th century was due to confusion with isle and influenced by the French aile which also meant wing. |
The first known use was in 1566. | Middle English ile from the Old French and from the Latin insula. The spelling with s (also in the 15th-century French) is influenced by the Latin. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Aisle vs I’ll vs Isle
Apple Dictionary.com
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Waglan Island Sung Kong Lo Chau by User:Geographer is under the GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0 license, and the Illustrated Front Cover from The Queenslander, 7 August 1930, is courtesy of the State Library of Queensland, Australia, and has no restrictions. Both are via Wikimedia Commons. This isle has been resized and the figure has had its background removed.
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