Grill vs. Grille

Grill” and “grille” represent one of the most frequently misspelled pair of English words. They sound and look extremely similar, and a lot of English users decide not to add that last “-e” anymore, or, contrary, to add it, right when it’s not necessary. So are they defining different concepts, or are they perfect synonyms?

Have you ever heard someone, or said it yourself, talking about a very delicious dish they had, cooked on the grille? If you passed over it without noticing it’s a misspelling, check again. And, if you got confused and started doubting if it’s correct or not, you were perfectly right! The word isn’t used correctly in this context, and the reason of it is pretty easy to understand. We’ll discuss it below, along with the reasons why “grill” and “grille” are so often misspelled and, of course, with their respective explanations and examples so you can picture their correct meanings and uses.

Grill vs. Grille

The reason behind the confusion created by “grill” and “grille” is actually logical if you go to the core of the matter. Both words are nouns, but in addition “grill” can also be used as a verb. Furthermore, the past tense form for “grill” is “grilled”, as it’s a regular verb; it is quite logical, then, why some are tempted to think that it’s actually created from “grille”, and to consider that this is the form of the verb, later confusing these words in their conversations.

The confusion, here, is created by almost identical spellings, by similar pronunciations and, of course, by the miss-knowledge of the real meanings of “grill” and “grille”. We are going to discuss their significations below, and we’ll show you the correct contexts for their use through relevant examples.

When do we use “grill”?

As we already mentioned above, “grill” can be used both as a noun and as a verb. In both cases, this is the one and only word that you should use when referring to the way a delicious dish was cooked, because this is the word related to cooking food. As a noun, “grill” refers to the piece of equipment used to cook food using direct heat from above or below, usually it’s a flat metal structure placed over an open fire; whereas as a verb, it refers to the action of cooking food using direct heat.

Example 1: Place the fish and vegetables on the grill, season them with some salt and spices, and they’ll taste greater than they ever could if you fried them in the pan! – used as a noun, “grill” refers to the piece of equipment used to cook food using direct heat.

Example 2: Grill the meat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, to make sure it’s properly cooked. – used as a verb, “grill” refers to the action of cooking food using direct heat.

When do we use “grille”?

“Grille” is another noun, with completely different meaning from “grill”, which is why you have to make sure you never confuse them. A “grille” is a big metal structure of bars built across something such as a yard, a bed etc., in order to protect it.

Example: The grille surrounding the entire building leaves no room for escaping. – “grille” is a noun defining a metal structure of bars building across or around something.

Conclusion

“Grill” and “grille” may look very similar, though their meanings are different and must not be confused. “Grill”, both as a verb and as a noun, relates to cooking food over a metal structure placed over a fire, while “grille” is simply a metal structure of bars built around or across something to ensure its protection.