Aisle and isle have the same pronunciation and almost the same spelling, but the two words are different and not interchangeable. Aisle (the one with the letter “a”) refers to a long passageway between seats in a plane, church, theater, etc., or between rows of shelves in a shop. Meanwhile, isle is another word for an island, used mainly in literature or in names of islands.
Remember, aisle and isle may be pronounced similarly, but there’s a noticeable difference that’s not hard to forget. Aisle is a long passageway between rows of seats and shelves, while isle means island (both words start with “is”), so isle = island.
The confusion between aisle and isle is common, even for writers, because the difference in spelling is just one letter “a” and they even have the same pronunciation.
When to Use Aisle
We use aisle as a noun when referring to a long passageway between rows of seats in a plane, church, theater, etc., or between rows of shelves in a shop.
An aisle is not only limited to a passageway between seats, too. Places such as supermarkets, factories, warehouses, and so on also have aisles.
On planes, aisle seats are seats next to an aisle.
Examples:
The aisle gets crowded with people looking for seats inside the movie theaters.
During the Billboard Music Awards 2019, Taylor Swift’s live performance had dazzling dancers perform in the aisles.
The aisles in one of the local stores I go to seem to get smaller and smaller.
I was asked whether I would like a window seat or an aisle seat on the plane.
The couple who complement each other finally agreed to walk down the aisle.
(Explanation: to get married)
When to Use Isle
Like aisle, we also use isle as a noun. It’s another word for island. Also, the term is primarily used in literature or in names of islands. Isle can also be used as a proper name.
Examples:
The Isle of Wight was considered the sunniest place in the U.K. in 2020.
There was a deserted isle in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Mandy wants to experience vacationing on an isle that’s not a huge tourist attraction.
I want to go to the Emerald Isle in Ireland and stay awhile.
Have you been to a famous isle?
Aisle vs. Isle: Is There a Difference?
Yes, there’s a difference between aisle and isle. While they are both nouns and have similar pronunciations, the two words are not interchangeable and have different meanings. Aisle (the one with the letter “a”) refers to a long passage between rows of seats in a church, plane, theater, etc., or between rows of shelves in a shop. Meanwhile, isle is another word for an island, used mainly in literature or in names of islands.
A trick to remember the difference between aisle and isle is the word isle means island (both words start with “is”), so isle = island while aisle is a passageway between rows of seats or shelves.
References:
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.) Aisle. In https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/ dictionary. Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/aisle
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.) Isle. In https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/ dictionary. Retrieved fromhttps://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/isle
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online. (n.d.). Aisle. In https://www.ldoceonline.com/ dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/aisle
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online. (n.d.). Isle. In https://www.ldoceonline.com/ dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/isle
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Aisle. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aisle
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Isle. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/isle
