Master confusing words with ease
Illegible vs. Unreadable
Illegible
/ɪˈledʒəbəl/Examples:
The memo was nearly illegible due to poor handwriting.Rain smudged the ink, rendering the letter illegible.His scrawl made the final draft hopelessly illegible.
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Antonyms:
Unreadable
/ʌnˈriːdəbəl/Examples:
The ancient script appeared unreadable to even experts.Her handwriting was so poor, it seemed unreadable.Without glasses, the fine print was completely unreadable.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Unreadable usually means someone is unable to understand the contents even if they can see the letters or symbols perfectly well.
- Illegible usually means the handwriting or print is so messy that it's impossible to make out what the letters or symbols are.
- Remember: Unreadable often refers to the text's content or style being incomprehensible, while illegible refers to poor handwriting or printing.
- Unreadable is more about the message's clarity in thought or structure, not its appearance.
- Illegible directly addresses the visual quality of the text itself, not its meaning.
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