Angel vs. Angle – How to Use Each Correctly
What’s the Difference Between Angel and Angle?
Contents
These two words sound almost identical, but they differ in the pronunciation of the g sound. Angel has a soft g sound, which means that the g sounds like a j. Angle has a hard g sound. Despite the different spelling of el in angel and le in angle, these parts of the words sound the same.
Although the words look similar, they have totally different meanings and origins.
Angel is a noun and can have either a spiritual meaning or a colloquial meaning. The religious meaning is a messenger from God. The non-religious meaning is a very kind and good person.
- God sent an angel to tell Mary she would be the mother of his son, Jesus. (religious meaning)
- Thank you so much for all your help! You are such an angel! (colloquial meaning)
Angle can be either a noun or a verb. It can have a mathematical meaning, such as the degrees in a corner. It can also refer to considering an idea from a new point of view.
- This wall should be extend at a 90 degree angle from this building. (mathematical meaning)
- You’re not wrong, but if you look at the problem from another angle, you’ll see that I am also not wrong.
The most common error with these two words is to mix up the spelling of one for the other. This can result in unintended humorous results.
Now, let’s go over a few ways you can use these words in your sentences.
Using Angel in a Sentence
When to use angel: Angel is a person or spiritual being.
When used to describe a person, it means the person has a loving heart and tries to help others.
When used to describe a spiritual being, it means a creature that is not a god, but has some powers that are more than a human’s. Although it is not a human, it may have some similar features in appearance.
For example,
- Many Catholics believe that angels who obeyed God exist in heaven, whereas those who disobeyed him went to hell.
- My granddaughter is an angel who always helps me with anything that I need.
Phrases that Use Angel
There are also several expressions with angels.
- guardian angel: a spirit that protects a human.
- That car almost hit me, but luckily my guardian angel was protecting me.
- avenging angel: An angel that delivers justice from God. Sometimes this can describe a human who delivers justice.
- The police thought that Zorro was a vigilante, but the poor people of the community considered him to be an avenging angel.
- be an angel: Be kind and help me.
- Be an angel and help me carry these groceries into the house.
These expressions use angel both in the religious sense and the colloquial sense.
Using Angle in a Sentence
When to use angle: The noun angle refers to the number of degrees between two intersecting lines. Alternatively, it can mean an approach of solving a problem or considering different ideas.
The verb angle means to tilt an object one way or another.
For example,
- The painting hanging on the wall is askew. Please angle it a little more to this side. (verb)
- You want to fight him, but consider this issue from another angle. You could also solve this merely with a frank discussion. (noun – point of view)
- An equilateral triangle has three equal angles. (noun – number of degrees)
Angles are commonly used in mathematics.
Phrases that Use Angle
There are also several common collocations with angle.
- acute/oblique/right/90 degree/obtuse angle: mathematical terms for different angle measurements.
- Remember that an acute angle is less than 90 degrees. That question will be on your math test.
- consider/view this from another angle: think about this in a different way.
- Yes, minimum wage is very low, but view it from another angle. Many business owners can only afford to pay their employees minimum wage.
These expressions use both the mathematical sense and the opinion sense.
Remembering Angel vs. Angle
There are a couple different ways to remember which of these words is which.
Many tables have four right angles. Table ends in le just like angle.
Also, there is one other mnemonic device you can use if you are familiar with Christian ideology. You might recognize the name of one of the most famous angels in the Bible: Gabriel. He delivered an important message. His name ends in el just like angel.
Outside Examples
- Standing before Vigneron, Jordan, Malashanko and Ervin sang, “I am a spouse to Him, whom the angels serve; sun and moon stand in wonder at His glory.” –New York Post (religious meaning)
- That’s when the off-duty nurse, Amanda Smith, who works in the neonatal intensive care unit at HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center, stepped in and started CPR. Smith just happened to be at the pool that day to swim. Parker said it was as if suddenly an “angel appeared and calmly got to work right away on my son.” –USA Today (helpful person meaning)
- Video broadcast by TV news outlets from the scene at a corner of the airport showed the aircraft’s nose flattened at an angle and its left wing crumpled. –LA Times (number of degrees meaning)
- “It gives us a very unique and interesting laboratory to give us an interesting new angle on the behavior of the strong interaction (between particles), which is one of the key forces in nature,” Wilkinson said. –New York Daily News (viewpoint meaning)
Quiz: Angle vs. Angel
Select the correct word.
- There is a choir of _____________ up in heaven.
- You are such an _____________ for helping me while I am in the hospital.
- Don’t tilt the pizza at an _____________ or all the cheese will slide off.
- He’s a terrible boss because he only considers the problems from one angle, and won’t listen to other viewpoints.
See answers below.
Article Summary
Should I use angel or angle? For a good person or spiritual being, use angel, with a soft g sound. For mathematics and viewpoints use angle, with a hard g sound.
- Angel describes a person or person-like entity.
- Angle describes the number of degrees between two intersecting lines, or a different way to think about an issue.
Answers from Quiz
- angels
- angel
- angle
- angle