el- root words — words with the el- root

The root el- comes from Old French el, meaning diminutive. 13 words in Dendril are built from it, including tunnel, poodle, swindle, frizzle, grapnel, petrel, pickerel, truckle, wastrel, ariel, bethel, estoppel. Dendril shows them on a free interactive word map — no signup, no ads.

Words that use the el- root

Explore words with el- — words containing the el- root and sharing its sense of "diminutive". Examples include tunnel, poodle, swindle, frizzle, grapnel, petrel, pickerel, truckle, wastrel, ariel, bethel, estoppel. Click any word to see its own roots, definition, and related words.

The el- root means diminutive, from Old French el. Recognizing it helps you decode and remember the many English words built on this root.