Alley vs ally

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Grammarist

Alley and ally are words that are close in spelling and pronunciation and may be considered confusables. We will examine the different meanings of the confusables alley and ally, the word origins of the terms, and some examples of their English usage in sentences.

An alley is a narrow lane between or behind buildings. An alley is generally too narrow to be a street; it is often used as a pedestrian walkway or a corridor for delivery trucks are sanitation trucks. An alley carries the connotation of being a place where business is conducted that should remain out of sight. The plural is alleys. The word alley is derived from the Old French word, alee, which means a corridor or a passageway.

An ally is a person, organization, or country that aids or works in conjunction with another person, organization, or country. The plural of ally is allies. During World War II, the confederation of nations working to defeat Germany, Japan, and Italy were known as the Allied powers or Allied forces; the major members of this group were Great Britain, Russia, and the United States. Ally is also used as a verb to mean to combine efforts with another. Related words are allies, allied, allying. The word ally is derived from the Latin word, alligare, which means to tie together.

Examples

To travel down an alley is to take a shortcut, even though it may take you longer to get where you’re going — depends on what you’re looking for. (Alpena News)

Passing through a narrow alley starting from Dana Mandi Chowk of Hoshiarpur, one reaches the world-famous Dabbi Bazaar of Hoshiarpur that opens to a breathtaking display of an exquisite inlay wood art. (The Tribune)

Being an ally for those in or seeking recovery is an honorable and pragmatic way to support both your local community and people worldwide. (Bangor Daily News)