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S vs Wail - What's the difference?

s | wail |

As a letter s

is the letter s with a.

As a noun wail is

a prolonged cry, usually high-pitched, especially as of grief or anguish.

As a verb wail is

to cry out, as in sorrow or anguish or wail can be (obsolete) to choose; to select.

s

Translingual

{{Basic Latin character info, previous=r, next=t, image= (wikipedia s)

Letter

  • The nineteenth letter of the .

    • Symbol

    (wikipedia) (mul-symbol)
  • voiceless alveolar fricative
  • Symbol for second , an SI unit of measurement of time.

    • See also

    (Latn-script) * * (esh) * (dze) * {{Letter , page=S , NATO=Sierra , Morse=ยทยทยท , Character=S , Braille=? }} Image:Latin S.png, Capital and lowercase versions of S , in normal and italic type Image:Fraktur letter S.png, Uppercase and lowercase S in Fraktur Symbols for SI units ----

    wail

    English

    Etymology 1

    Probably from (etyl) Etymology in Webster's Dictionary

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A prolonged cry, usually high-pitched, especially as of grief or anguish.
    • She let out a loud, doleful wail .
  • Any similar sound as of lamentation; a howl.
    • The wail of snow-dark winter winds.
    A bird's wail in the night.
  • A sound made by emergency vehicle sirens, contrasted with "yelp" which is higher-pitched and faster.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cry out, as in sorrow or anguish.
  • To weep, lament persistently or bitterly.
  • To make a noise like mourning or crying.
    • The wind wailed and the rain streamed down.
  • To lament; to bewail; to grieve over.
    • to wail one's death
    (Shakespeare)
  • (slang, music) To perform with great liveliness and force.
  • *
  • *
  • *
    • Derived terms
    * wailer * wailingly
    References

    Etymology 2

    Compare Icelandic word for "choice".

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To choose; to select.
  • * Henryson
    • Wailed wine and meats
    (Webster 1913) English terms with homophones