Bale and Bail Are Different Words
A bale is a large bundle of goods. Its homophone bail covers court release, water removal and cricket.
A bale is a large bundle of goods tightly bound for transport, especially hay, cotton or wool. *Bail* is a separate word with several senses of its own: release from custody, scooping water from a boat, and the small pieces of wood on top of cricket stumps. Only the hay bundle is *bale*. *Bale out* of an aircraft is British spelling, *bail out* American, and the two countries have never quite agreed which is right.
- A bound bundle. *A bale of hay.*
- Bail — court release. *Released on bail.*
- Bail — to scoop water. *Bail out the boat.*
- Bails — cricket pieces. *The bails fell.*
- Old French — *bale*, a package. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | bale | A bale. |
| Plural | bales | Bales. |
| Verb | bale | Bale the hay. |
| Homophone | bail | Bail. |
| Agent | baler | A baler. |
- The field was dotted with bales.Farming.
- He was released on bail.Law.
- The bails were dislodged.Cricket.
The many bails
- Bail (law) — from Old French *baillier*, to hand over
- Bail (water) — from French *baille*, a bucket
- Bail (cricket) — from a word for a crossbar
- Bale (bundle) — the only one spelled with an E
- Bale out / bail out — the spelling differs by country
Old French *bale*, a package or bundle, probably from a Germanic source related to *ball*.
Bale out or bail out of a plane?
Bale out is the traditional British spelling, bail out the American. Both are widely used and neither is clearly wrong.
Are the different bails related?
No. Legal bail, bailing water and cricket bails come from three separate French and Old English words.