‘Angel’ and ‘angle’ are two different words with different meanings. But when to use which? That’s precisely what you’ll learn in today’s article.
In short, an ‘angel’ is a spiritual being, and an ‘angle’ is a shape made when two lines intersect.
If you want to know the difference between the two words, a good place to start is to understand the definition of each word and how you pronounce them.
‘Angel’ is a noun. Its primary use is to refer to a spiritual being believed to be a messenger of God. They’re also seen as protectors and guides for humans, like with the term ‘guardian angel.’
For example:
Just when he was beginning to lose hope, the angel appeared in front of him.
I think my mom is my guardian angel.
‘Angel’ is also used as a term of endearment or to describe someone well-behaved.
My baby’s such an angel for a one-year-old; she always sleeps through the night.
It was no trouble at all babysitting; Gabby’s an angel.
‘Angel’ is pronounced / ˈeɪn.dʒəl/, or ane-djul.
According to the International Phonetics Alphabet, 'angel' is pronounced as follows:
/ˈeɪndʒəl/
And it sounds like this:
AYN-juhl
According to the International Phonetics Alphabet, 'angle' is pronounced as follows:
/ˈæŋɡ(ə)l/
And it sounds like this:
ang-guh l
‘Angel’ is a noun. Its primary use is to refer to a spiritual being believed to be a messenger of God. They’re also seen as protectors and guides for humans, like with the term ‘guardian angel.’
For example:
Just when he was beginning to lose hope, the angel appeared in front of him.
I think my granny is my guardian angel.
‘Angel’ is also used as a term of endearment or to describe someone well-behaved.
My baby’s such an angel; she always sleeps through the night.
It was no trouble at all babysitting; Gabby’s an angel.
The word ‘angle’ can be a noun or a verb. Let’s first look at its meaning as a noun.
You’ll often see the word ‘angle’ used in geometry contexts. Perhaps it’ll pop up in a maths test. It’s the shape formed when two lines meet.
A square has four angles.
The angles of a rectangle measure 90°.
But you can also use it to refer to your position.
From this angle, I can see much better.
That's the worst angle to take the photo from!
‘Angle’ can also be used to discuss someone’s approach. You could ask them what their angle is if you want to know what they’re trying to get out of the situation.
What’s your angle here?
I think we need to approach this from a different angle.
As a verb, ‘to angle’ also means to position something. This might be a physical object or an approach.
Can you angle the spotlight towards the middle of the stage?
They’ll need to angle their marketing differently if they have any chance of reaching their target audience.
It’s also used to talk about a sharp turn or a change to a different direction.
Be careful as the road angles off toward the right; many cars have totaled in that spot.
Why did you angle off during your presentation?
Oh, and it can also mean to fish with a hook. But you’ll probably only use the word in this sense if you’re a part of the fishing community.
So there you have it. I hope this article’s been helpful to you and that you now feel more confident in using the words ‘angel’ and ‘angle.’
We have tons more articles on confusing words on our blog, so don’t forget to check them out if you want to learn more and increase your knowledge of correct spellings and the appropriate use of different words.
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