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“Hole” or “Whole”

hole / whole 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.

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Definitions

What each term means

Same sound, different spellings and meanings, shown with a pronunciation guide for each term.

hole hh·OW·l

  • nounan opening into or through something.
  • nounan opening deliberately made in or through something.
  • nounone playing period (from tee to green) on a golf course.
  • nounan unoccupied space.
  • nouna depression hollowed out of solid matter.
  • nouna fault.
  • verbhit the ball into the hole.
  • verbmake holes in.

whole hh·OW·l

  • nounall of something including all its component elements or parts.
  • nounan assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity.
  • adjectiveincluding all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete.
  • adjective(of siblings) having the same parents.
Usage

Examples in context

Real sentences for each spelling. Hover an example to copy it.

“hole”

  • …installer bit is a transverse hole drilled through the web of…
  • …Film (2007) at the Jackson Hole Film Festival , the David…
  • My Life in a Hole in the Ground (On-U Sound,
  • …be threaded through this transverse hole, and the bit pulled back…
  • …ball to fall into a hole rather than knock down pins.
  • …a round plate with a hole in it, attached to a…
  • Sometimes an additional hole called nizam pardasi is made…
  • "Nan True's Hole" (Miller)
  • …loop of rope through a hole in the soap.
  • …player's snake exits through a hole to complete the level.

“whole”

  • …with which an annexation of whole Schleswig and Holstein to Denmark…
  • …common Danish constitution for the whole monarchy; it was little more…
  • …the name given to the whole complex of diplomatic and other…
  • …the Danish monarchy as a whole was to be made the…
  • …than integrating them into the whole".
  • …for a settlement of the whole question on the basis of…
  • …as essential parts of a whole, light and dark aspects of…
  • The whole affair was called the Easter…
  • …after Nazi Germany occupied the whole of Denmark, there was agitation…
  • …basis, with Austria's support, the whole matter might have been arranged…

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

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