The S in Isle Was Added by Mistake
An isle is a small island. Its silent S was inserted by scholars who misunderstood the word's origin.
An isle is a small island, used mainly in poetry and place names. The S is a scholarly error. English took the word from French *ile*, which came from Latin *insula*; Renaissance writers restored an S to show the Latin, although French had long since dropped the sound. The mistake then spread: *island* is a native English word with no Latin ancestry at all, and its S was borrowed from *isle* by pure confusion. So one silent letter is wrong twice over.
- A small island. *The Isle of Skye.*
- Island — the native word. *An island.*
- Insular — of an island. *Insular.*
- Peninsula — almost an island. *A peninsula.*
- Latin — *insula*. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | isle | An isle. |
| Plural | isles | Isles. |
| Related | island | An island. |
| Adjective | insular | Insular. |
| Latin | insula | An island. |
- The Isle of Man.Place name.
- Island is a native word.Etymology.
- Both S letters are silent.Spelling.
The insula family
- Isle — a small island
- Insular — of an island, hence narrow in outlook
- Peninsula — almost an island, from *paene*, almost
- Isolate — to set apart as on an island
- Island — not related to any of them
Old French *ile*, from Latin *insula*. The S was restored to the spelling in the 1500s.
Why is the S in isle silent?
It was added by Renaissance scholars to show the Latin insula, though French had dropped the sound centuries earlier.
Is island related to isle?
No. Island is a native English word. Its S was borrowed from isle by mistake, so the letter is wrong there too.