Meaning & use
ell
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Meanings
nouncountableold-fashioned
An old unit of length, used mainly for cloth, equal to about 45 inches (1.14 meters).
Grammar: Countable: one ell, two ells. Usually appears in historical texts or discussions of old measurements.
Patterns
- an ell of cloth
- measure something in ells
In the 16th century, a merchant might sell a length of wool by the ell.
The old tailor's records show he bought three ells of fine linen.
An English ell was about 45 inches, but the Scottish ell was shorter.
nouncountable
The name of the letter L, especially when spoken or spelled out.
Grammar: Countable; usually written as 'ell' when you mean the spoken letter name, as in 'a silent ell'.
Patterns
- a silent ell
- the ell in a word
In the word 'calm', the ell is silent.
When spelling aloud, say 'ell' for the letter L.
He wrote his name with a capital ell.
nouncountabletechnical
A wing of a building that sticks out at a right angle from the main part, making an L shape.
Grammar: Countable; often used in descriptions of older houses or floor plans.
Patterns
- the ell of a house
- a kitchen in the ell
The farmhouse has a small ell at the back where the kitchen is.
They added an ell to the original cabin to make more room.
The ell of the building faces the garden.
Word forms
| plural | ells |
|---|
Common combinations
- an ell of cloth
- The account book lists two ells of cloth bought in 1620.
- a silent ell
- The word 'talk' has a silent ell.
- measure by the ell
- In those days, fabric was measured by the ell.
- the ell of a building
- The ell of the building was added later as a kitchen wing.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- L noun
- The letter itself, whose spoken name is 'ell'.
Commonly confused: ell or L?
ell vs L
'L' is the written letter; 'ell' is how you say or spell out that letter's name. In measurements, 'ell' is a separate old unit.
Practice
In the phrase 'a silent ell', what does 'ell' mean?
Choose one answer.
'A silent ell' means the letter L is not pronounced, as in 'calm'. The unit of length and the building wing are different senses of 'ell' and do not fit the phrase 'silent'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ell”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.