'Heal' means to recover from injury or illness; 'heel' is the back part of the foot or shoe.
Verb. To become healthy or whole again after injury or illness. Also: to cause someone to recover.
The wound took three weeks to heal completely.
Time heals most wounds, but some scars remain forever.
Rest and proper nutrition are key to healing after surgery.
Noun/verb. The back of the foot below the ankle. The back part of a shoe. Also: to follow closely behind (dog command "heel").
She developed a blister on her heel from the new shoes.
The heel of the boot had worn down completely.
Achilles' only weakness was his heel.
Common mistake
"The injury should heel in two weeks" when meaning recover (correct: heal). Or "She injured her heal" when meaning the foot part (correct: heel).
Trick to remember it
'Heal' has EA like 'health' and 'treatment' — to heal is to restore health. 'Heel' has EE like 'feet' and 'toes' — both parts of the same body area.
Quick rule
Is it the verb to cure or recover? 'Heal'. Is it the back of the foot or shoe? 'Heel'.
Did you know?
The expression 'Achilles heel' (fatal vulnerability) comes from Greek mythology: the goddess Thetis dipped her son Achilles in the river Styx to make him invulnerable, holding him by the heel. That one spot never touched the water. Today it describes any person's or organisation's critical weakness — a company's Achilles heel might be its supply chain, a leader's might be their temper.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The broken trust between the teams will take months to _____ completely.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She snapped the _____ of her shoe on the cobblestone pavement.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Is it the verb to cure or recover? 'Heal'. Is it the back of the foot or shoe? 'Heel'.
"The injury should heel in two weeks" when meaning recover (correct: heal). Or "She injured her heal" when meaning the foot part (correct: heel).
'Heal' has EA like 'health' and 'treatment' — to heal is to restore health. 'Heel' has EE like 'feet' and 'toes' — both parts of the same body area.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy