Hail or Hale?

What Is the Difference between "Hail" and "Hale"?

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"Hail" and "hale" are easy to confuse because they sound identical (i.e., they are perfect homonyms). However, their meanings are very different. Of note, "hale" is a rare word, but "hail" is a common word.

"Hale" describes an elderly person who is free from defect, disease, or infirmity.

For everything else, use "hail." hail or hale?

More about "Hail" and "Hale"

The words "hail" and "hale" are homonyms (specifically, homophones) because they sound identical. However, their meanings are quite different.

Hail

The word "hail" has five main meanings:

(1) To cheer, salute, and welcome.

The crowd hailed the heroes as they accepted their awards.
Let others hail the rising sun. I bow to that whose course is run. (Actor David Garrick)

(2) To call or attract attention.

When I'm a brunette, it's four times harder to hail a taxi. Then I go blonde again, and suddenly there are taxis everywhere. (Actress Sally Phillips)
Their best option was to hail a passing ship on the VHF radio.

(3) To come from.

"To hail from" is a phrasal verb meaning to originate from somewhere.

Whether they hail from different cultures, countries or faiths, children are children. (Kimberly Quinn)
Nearly everyone here hails from the South.

(4) To pour down.

Bullets hailed down on the enemy as they advanced.
The court's decision was met with a hail of criticism.

figuratively

(5) A shower of frozen rain.

Insults are pouring down on me as thick as hail. (French painter Edouard Manet)
It hailed the night we slept in the tent.

Hale

The adjective "hale" is used to describe an older person who retains the physical qualities of youth. (In other words, they are free from defect, disease, or infirmity.) Examples: