What is the difference between a ladle or ladel? Believe it or not, there is a big difference. A ladle has a deep bowl and is used for serving soups and stews. It can also be used to scrape the sides of bowls or pots. A ladel is a common misspelling. Catching simple spelling mistakes is one of the most important parts of copy editing or proofreading! Read on to figure out the difference between these two words.
Is The Spelling Ladle or Ladel?
There are so many words in the English language that are commonly confused, just like ingrained or engrained. Some words sound alike, like play it by ear or year. Some words are spelled alike. And some words have identical meanings.
So, how do you choose between ladle or ladel?
- Ladel – This is a common typo for the word ladle. Ladel is NOT a valid scrabble word and should not be used in your writing.
- Ladle – The correct spelling. Ladle (noun): a large spoon with a deep, bowl-shaped container and a long handle, used for serving liquids such as soup.
Takeaway: Ladle is the right spelling. This tool is used to serve hot liquid in a cup-shaped bowl.
Sentence Examples
- She used a ladle to scoop soup into the bowl.
- He stirred the pot with a ladle.
- She filled the ladle with water from the bucket.
- The ladle was the perfect size for serving stews.
- He carefully balanced the ladle full of sauce.
- She ladled the gravy into a gravy boat.
- The ladle was made from a durable material.
Ladle As A Verb
A transitive verb is a verb that takes a direct object. This means that the action of the verb is being done to a person, place, thing, or idea. This is a prime example of the impotance of proofreading. Writers often get confused when words can be used as multiple parts of speech.
Examples of transitive verbs include:
- Eat
- Buy
- Read
The word ladle can also be used as a transitive verb, just like the term bare with me. This is used to mean that you are serving food (usually soup) in serving bowls.
- I am going to ladle soup into your bowl.
- Steve just ladled the gravy onto the turkey.
- Mark ladled the Chicken Noodle Soup into my bowl.
Common Synonyms For Ladle
Here is a list of words that can be used instead of ladle:
- Dipper
- Scoop
- Skimmer
- Spoon
- Spurtle
- Ladleful
What About British English?
Oftentimes there is a difference in spelling of words in British and American English. Some examples of differences in spelling between British and American English include:
- Colour (British) vs. Color (American)
- Centre (British) vs. Center (American)
- Favourite (British) vs. Favorite (American)
- Theatre (British) vs. Theater (American)
- Realise (British) vs. Realize (American)
- Traveller (British) vs. Traveler (American)
However, the word ladle is one of the few that does NOT change spelling. This word is spelled the same in both American and British English. If grammar really interests you, I suggest checking out the proofreadingacademy to see how you can make some extra money as a proofreader. Many of my students have done this!
Frequently Asked Questions
Ladle is the correct spelling. They are used for everything from scooping molten metal or serving ladle soup.
Ladles is the plural form of ladle. A soup ladle is a cup-shaped serving spoon used for serving soup.
The word “ladle” likely comes from the Middle English word “ladel”, which is derived from the Old English word “hlaedel” “to load; to draw up water”.
No, ladel is not a word. This is a common typo for the word ladle, which is used for serving soup from a deep bowl.
The Bottom Line
Now you know the difference between ladle and ladel. As it turns out, ladle is the correct spelling. This word can be used as a verb or noun in your writing. Remember that we have our very own spell-checking tool if you need a quick proofread! Use these tips to improve your writing quality and avoid making spelling mistakes.
