“Ails” or “Ales”

Overview

ails / ales are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term. 👇

Definitions

ails: (verb) be ill or unwell.

ales: (noun) a general name for beer made with a top fermenting yeast; in some of the United States an ale is (by law) a brew of more than 4% alcohol by volume.

Pronunciation

ails: EY·l·z

ales: EY·l·z

Trends

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Examples in Context

Examples of “ails”

Examples of “ales”

…beer from Nashville-area brewers, including ales and lagers produced by South…
Official Web site on Ales Valenta Acrobat Park
…stones: a monument of recycled boulders?.
…National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors.

(Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions drawn from WordNet.)

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