Angel vs. Angle (Grammar Rules)
For this Grammar Rules post, let’s take a look at when to use angel and angle. One is a spiritual being that may mean to do good, while the other refers to two lines coming together and/or the intent of a person who might be up to something.
Angel vs. Angle
Angel is a noun that represents a spiritual being that often does the bidding of a god and sometimes works to help out humans. Angel can also mean someone who is a messenger, a guardian, a supporter, and/or is a very nice (or, in some cases, nice-looking) person.
(How to Write Dates Correctly in Sentences.)
Angle, on the other hand, can be used as a noun or verb. As a noun, an angle is where the space formed by two lines coming together. An angle can also refer to the perspective from which something is viewed or an approach used for dealing with a certain situation. It’s also a synonym with intention (as in, “What’s your angle?”). As a verb, angle might be used to represent movement toward an object or goal.
Make sense?
Here are a couple examples of angel and angle:
Correct: She was so well-behaved and pleasant that everyone called her an angel.
Incorrect: She was so well-behaved and pleasant that everyone called her an angle.
Correct: The house looked like it might fall, because there wasn’t a 90-degree angle in the structure.
Incorrect: The house looked like it might fall, because there wasn’t a 90-degree angel in the structure.
As far as tricks for remembering how to spell the correct word (and pronunciation), look no further than the “gel” in “angel.” Beyond that, I’d just like to leave you with this lovely song from The Decemberists titled “Of Angels and Angles.”
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No matter what type of writing you do, mastering the fundamentals of grammar and mechanics is an important first step to having a successful writing career.