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“Sail” or “Sale”

sail / sale 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

What each term means

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

sail s·EY·l

  • nouna large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel.
  • nounany structure that resembles a sail.
  • verbtraverse or travel on (a body of water).
  • verbtravel on water propelled by wind.

sale s·EY·l

  • nouna particular instance of selling.
  • nounthe general activity of selling.
  • nounan occasion (usually brief) for buying at specially reduced prices.
  • nounthe state of being purchasable; offered or exhibited for selling.
  • nounan agreement (or contract) in which property is transferred from the seller (vendor) to the buyer (vendee) for a fixed price in money (paid or agreed to be paid by the buyer).
Usage

Examples in context

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

“sail”

  • MT Shipping planned to sail from Harwich, Essex to Boulogne-sur-Mer,
  • The Muintir Nemid set sail from the Caspian Sea in
  • just before the colonists set sail from England, the colony's Trustees
  • Maritime Museum's annual Festival of Sail.
  • and the first colonists set sail in the same year.
  • Bluto kidnaps Olive and sets sail with her and Swee'Pea to
  • Trumbulls masthead lookout sighted a sail to windward.
  • and they were wont to sail upon the smooth sea".
  • and agreements, all QMEDs who sail internationally are similarly documented by
  • on muscle power (besides the sail).

“sale”

  • - This website is for sale!
  • Following the sale of the wealth management business,
  • that were put out for sale at the NicoNico Choukaigi event
  • has concerns about allowing the sale to go forward".
  • Wangunk tribe made another land sale in 1672, and the remaining
  • 2 which was released for sale on September 27, 2011.
  • bid at promotion forced John's sale to Birmingham City in February
  • Only 500 tickets went on sale to the public, priced at
  • , the average sale price of a home in
  • former began with a $775,000 sale of KTLO-AM-FM to Charles and

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

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