An isleA small piece of land surrounded by water is a small island. It is a fairly literaryUsed mostly in writing, especially elegant or formal writing or poeticHaving a graceful, imaginative style like poetry word, and in everyday English people usually say island instead.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /aɪl/
Easy pronunciation: ILE (approximate spelling).
Stress: One syllable; the stress is on the whole word.
Used here as a noun meaning a small island.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Isle Meaning
a small piece of land surrounded by water
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a small island
Example: We stopped at a tiny isle in the middle of the lake.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- islet — A direct synonym for a very small island.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Isle Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- islet
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes think isle is a different word from island, but it usually means the same thing, just in a more poetic or old-fashioned style.
- Do not use isle for a large island; it usually suggests something small.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does isle mean?
An isle means a small island. It is often used in literary, poetic, or place-name contexts.
What is a synonym for isle?
A good synonym is islet, especially when you mean a very small island.
Is isle the same as island?
Yes, but isle is usually more poetic or old-fashioned, while island is the normal everyday word.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.