Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

isle

/aɪ̯l/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.83 in modern English

Syllables
isle
IPA
/aɪ̯l/
4
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An island, usually very small. Compare with islet.

noun

Obsolete spelling of aisle.

Obsolete

name

A minor city in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States.

name

A commune near Limoges, Haute-Vienne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France.

name

A river in Somerset, England, which flows into the River Parrett.

name

A river in southwestern France, which flows into the Dordogne.

Etymology

From Middle English ile, yle (with s added, similar to English island), borrowed from Old French ille, idle, isle, from Latin insula. Not related to island. Doublet of insula.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /aɪ̯l/
  • British English: /aɪ̯l/

Usage

Inflected Forms

isles (plural) Ile (alternative)

Derived Forms

enisle inisle isled isleless isleman Mull islesman isleward islomania Ilminster

Phrases

Balearic Isles Black Isle Bradbury and the Isle British Isles Deer Isle Fair Isle Grand Isle Isle of Arran

Frequently Paired Words

insulate insulation islet

Synonyms

islet

Homonyms

I'll aisle

Rhymes With

while style file smile mile pile kyle awhile worthwhile tile aisle nile

Questions

How do you pronounce isle?
The recorded pronunciation is /aɪ̯l/.
What does isle mean?
An island, usually very small. Compare with islet.
Where does isle come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce isle

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “isle”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/aɪ̯l/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “isle”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “isle” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.