Mail or Male?

by Craig Shrives
The Quick Answer
What is the difference between mail and male?

As a noun, mail refers to letters or parcels sent by post.
As a verb, to mail means to send a letter or a parcel by post.

Male is an adjective that denotes someone's or something's gender as masculine. It is also a noun that refers to a masculine person, plant, or animal.
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male or mail?

Mail or Male?

The words mail and male sound identical, but their meanings are completely different.

Mail

The noun mail refers to anything sent by post (usually parcels and letters). The word can also be seen in the word e-mail, which means "electronic mail". Mail is also used as a verb that means to send a letter or a parcel by post. For example:
  • I get mail; therefore, I am.
    • (Here, mail is a noun.)
  • I'm not sure that I mailed them, although I did close the slot and open it again to check.
    • (Here, mail is a verb.)

Male

The noun male denotes something as masculine (i.e., not female). The word male may also be used an adjective.

Examples:
  • I wanted to be a male ballet dancer.
    • (Here, male is an adjective.)
  • The word "excess" has no meaning for a male.
    • (Here, male is a noun.)

Common Terms with "Male" and "Mail"

Common terms with the word "male":
  • alpha male
  • male pattern baldness
  • shemale
Common terms with the word "mail":
  • airmail
  • email
  • mail box
  • Royal Mail
Interactive Exercise
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See Also

adverse or averse? affect or effect? appraise or apprise? avenge or revenge? bare or bear? complement or compliment? dependant or dependent? discreet or discrete? disinterested or uninterested? e.g. or i.e.? envy or jealousy? imply or infer? its or it's? material or materiel? poisonous or venomous? practice or practise? principal or principle? tenant or tenet? who's or whose? What are adjectives? What are nouns? List of easily confused words