A pole is a long slender rod, or one of the two extremes of the Earth or a magnet: "The tent pole snapped." A poll is a vote or a survey of opinion: "The latest poll puts them six points ahead." They sound identical, so the spelling has to be chosen by meaning.
The core difference
These are homophones — identical in speech, unrelated in sense. Pole is a physical thing or an extreme point. Poll is about counting opinions or votes.
Pole covers three familiar uses: a rod (a flagpole, a fishing pole, pole vaulting), the geographic extremes (the North Pole, the South Pole), and the ends of a magnet or battery (positive and negative poles). From the last two comes the figurative poles apart, meaning as far from agreement as possible.
Poll covers voting and surveying: an opinion poll, a poll of members, going to the polls on election day. As a verb it means to survey — "We polled 400 customers" — or to receive votes: "She polled just under 12,000."
The test
Try substituting survey or vote. If either fits, spell it poll — "the latest survey", "they go to the vote on Thursday". If instead you can substitute rod, post or extreme end, spell it pole.
For a memory hook: poll has two Ls, and voting is about counting — two ballots side by side. Pole is the single, slender one.
Examples in use
- "The scaffolding poles were stacked against the wall."
- "Turnout was low, but the polls stayed open until ten."
- "Their views on the merger are poles apart."
- "We polled every department before changing the policy."
The edge cases
Pole position in motor racing is spelled pole, not poll. It means the front spot on the starting grid, and by extension any advantageous lead: "The bid is in pole position." Writing "poll position" is a genuine and fairly common error.
Polling station, polling day and exit poll all take poll. So does poll tax, where poll carries an older sense of head — a tax counted per head. That older sense also survives in polled cattle, meaning hornless.
Pole capitalised is a person from Poland, which has nothing to do with either sense.
The mistake to watch for
Because spellcheckers accept both, neither error is flagged. The two that slip through most often are "poll vault" for pole vault and "poll position" for pole position. Both belong to sport, and both need the single L.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it "pole position" or "poll position"?
Pole position. It comes from motor racing, where it means the front place on the starting grid. Poll position would suggest a survey result, which is not the meaning.
Which spelling for an election?
Poll. Voters go to the polls, at a polling station, on polling day. Anything to do with counting votes or opinions uses the double L.
Is the North Pole spelled pole or poll?
Pole. It refers to the extreme point of the Earth's axis, the same sense used for the poles of a magnet.