Aisle vs Isle vs Ill
Published January 16, 2023. Updated January 16, 2023.
Aisle, Isle, and I’ll are three words that sound exactly the same (for both Aisle and Isle, ignore the S when you pronounce them). Fortunately, the words have nothing else in common. Aisle and Isle are both nouns. Aisle is a walkway between chairs, shelves, or other dividers. Isle is a small island. I’ll is a contraction of two words: I will.
Here are some definitions and examples to help make the use of these words clearer.
Aisle (noun)
A walkway between chairs, shelves, or other dividers such as tables.
Examples:
At weddings, the bride walks down the aisle towards the groom.
You can find Mac and Cheese in aisle 14, which is the soup and pasta aisle.
In the two examples above, the aisle is a walkway. In the first example, it is a walkway with chairs on either side. In the second example, it is a walkway with shelves and grocery items on either side.
Isle (noun)
A small island.
Examples:
The Isle of Man is a small island between the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The tropical isle has sandy beaches all around and a few coconut palms.
Both example sentences talk about small islands. In the first example, the word Isle is part of the name of the island. That’s why it’s capitalized. In the second example, isle is a common noun and is not capitalized.
I’ll (contraction)
A contraction of the words “I will.”
Examples:
I’ll never forget the first time you asked me to dance.
If you promise to take me to the movies tomorrow, I’ll make you some brownies.
In both of these examples, try to substitute the words “I will” for I’ll. The contraction I’ll is more conversational and commonly used when speaking.
Main Points
- Aisle means a walkway between barriers, such as chairs, shelves, or tables.
- Isle means a small island. In fact, if you look at the word, it has the first 3 letters of “island,” but then ends with an E instead of the rest of the letters. So, the word isle really is a small version of the word “island.”
- I’ll is a contraction of the words “I will.” The apostrophe (’) is used in contractions to show that a letter or letters were taken out. Since the W and I were taken out of “will” the apostrophe goes in that spot.