Quick answer
Hail means frozen rain, to call out to or praise someone, or to come from somewhere. Hale means healthy and strong. Memory hook: hale is close to whole, and a hale person is whole and well.
The core difference
Hail relates to ice from the sky and to greeting or origin, while hale means in good health.
- hail — ice from the sky, or to greet or come from: She hails from a small fishing town in Scotland.
- hale — healthy and strong, especially for one's age: Even at ninety, her grandfather remained hale and active.
How to tell them apart
Hale comes from an Old English word meaning whole or healthy, the same root that gave us whole. That link makes a handy trick: a hale person is whole and well.
The mix-up appears in the phrase hale and hearty, which is often mistyped as hail and hearty. It also appears with hails from, where hail is the correct spelling.
Frequently asked questions
Is it hale and hearty or hail and hearty?
Hale and hearty is the standard form, since hale means healthy.
Is it hails from or hales from?
Hails from. Hail is the verb meaning to come from a place originally.
Does hale have another meaning?
Yes, as a verb it means to pull or drag someone forcibly, though this is rare and formal.
