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“Wails” or “Whales”

wails / whales 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.

wails w·EY·l·z

  • verbcry weakly or softly.

whales w·EY·l·z

  • nounany of the larger cetacean mammals having a streamlined body and breathing through a blowhole on the head.
  • verbhunt for whales.
Usage

Examples in context

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

“wails”

  • Along with his characteristic wails and croons, he exhibited a…
  • …had more substance than adolescent wails on how love will save…
  • …using shouts, groans, moans, and wails.
  • …from seductive whispers to banshee wails".
  • …oscillate between stoicism and crushing wails."

“whales”

  • …more gradual settlement of fewer whales and using more subsistence strategies…
  • …would use umiaks and kill whales in narrow ice leads as…
  • …Atlantic in search of sperm whales.
  • …move, followed groups of bowhead whales, which were an important source…
  • …whale for survival because bowhead whales swim slowly and sleep near…
  • …Whale's remake of Marius and Fanny.
  • …European contact in areas where whales were not as prevalent so…
  • Children of the Whales, Urumi, Nibi (young), Cocaro
  • …oceans populated only by albatross, whales and ice, with no shipping…
  • Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus)

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

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