Pronunciation: [ɡˈa͡ɪl] (IPA) 
The word "guile" is spelled with the IPA phonetic transcription /ɡaɪl/. The first sound is the hard "g" sound, followed by the "ai" diphthong which makes the long "i" sound. The final sound is the unvoiced "l" sound. This word means slyness or cunning in behavior or speech. It can sometimes be used to describe someone who is manipulative or deceptive. Proper spelling is important when conveying meaning accurately in writing.
Guile is a noun that refers to the quality of being skilled in deception or cunning, often with the intention of achieving one's own goals or manipulating others for personal gain. It is derived from the Middle English word "gile" and the Old French word "guile," both of which trace back to the Latin word "vīlia," meaning deceit, fraud, or trickery.
In its dictionary definition, guile is characterized by crafty and sly behavior, characterized by using clever tricks, strategies, or deceitful methods to achieve an advantage or to deceive others. It involves an ability to manipulate situations or people through deceitful means while maintaining an appearance of innocence or sincerity. Guile can manifest in various forms, such as dishonesty, cunning, trickery, or subterfuge, and it is often associated with a lack of moral integrity.
Guile is typically employed to gain an upper hand or to exploit others for personal gain, whether in personal relationships, business dealings, politics, or other contexts. It can involve the artful use of persuasion, manipulation, or deception to achieve one's objectives. However, guile is generally considered to be a negative quality or trait due to its inherently deceptive and dishonest nature.
While guile can be effective in certain situations, its usage is often viewed as untrustworthy or unethical. In literature, folklore, or mythology, characters possessing guile are often depicted as villains or antagonists, as they employ cunning or deceit to deceive others or to serve their own self-interests.
Craft; cunning; artifice; duplicity.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "guile" dates back to Middle English and has its roots in Old French. It is derived from the Old French noun "guile" which means "trickery" or "deception". This Old French word, in turn, comes from the Latin noun "vīla" meaning "a snare" or "a trick". The Latin term shares a common ancestor with the Proto-Indo-European root "*wei-" which means "to bend" or "to turn". Over time, the word "guile" has evolved to its current English usage, referring to cunning, craftiness, or deceitfulness.
