Roil and royal are commonly confused words that are pronounced in the same way but are spelled differently and have different meanings, which makes them homophones. We will examine the different meanings of the homophonic words roil and royal, the word origins of the terms, and some examples of their English usage in sentences.
Roil is a verb that means to disturb something, to make something confusing. Roil is used in a literal sense to describe turbulent liquid, such as a stormy sea or the rapids on a river. Roil is also used figuratively to mean to stir up confusion in a situation. Related words are roils, roiled, roiling. The word roil is believed to have been derived from the French word, roullier, which means to make muddy.
Royal means belonging to the family of the sovereign ruler, such as the king or queen, or something that is suitable for a member of the family of the sovereign ruler. Royal is usually used as an adjective, though in British English, royal is used as a noun to mean a member of the ruling family. The word royal is derived from the Old French word, roial, which means regal.
Examples
President Trump’s implicit threat on Tuesday to reject a relief compromise that did not raise the bill’s $600 direct payment checks to $2,000 has continued to roil Congress and inject uncertainty into an already teetering economic recovery. (New York Times)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government expanded its market borrowing plan for a second time this year to an unprecedented 13 trillion rupees ($177 billion), a move that’s likely to roil the nation’s bond market. (Business Standard)
A video of Prince Albert’s traditional holiday card made its debut on the royal’s official Facebook page on Wednesday — and the family’s message is simple: “May the spirit of Christmas be with you throughout the New Year/ We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year 2021.” (People Magazine)
In fact, some royal experts think she might make some very big changes to how things works in the royal family when her husband, Prince William, becomes king. (Marie Claire)
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