island or Iceland or Ireland?
The words island, Iceland and Ireland are confusing because they sound similar and their spellings are similar. In fact, they have completely different meanings. To understand the differences, we have to think about the difference between common nouns and proper nouns.
island
An island is a piece of land completely surrounded by water. An island can be very small or very big. An island can be in a lake or in a river or in the sea. If it is land with water all around it, it is an island.
The "s" in island is silent. The word island is pronounced /'aɪ.lənd/, with stress on first syllable.
Notice that island usually begins with a small letter, but Iceland and Ireland always begin with a capital letter. They begin with a capital letter because they are names.
Iceland
The word Iceland is the name of a country (sometimes called Republic of Iceland). However, the country of Iceland is also an island because it is surrounded by water (the North Atlantic Ocean).
Note too that Iceland begins with a capital "I" because it is a name.
The word Iceland is pronounced /'aɪs.lənd/, with stress on first syllable.
Ireland
Ireland is the name of an island to the west of Great Britain. The island of Ireland contains two political units:
- Republic of Ireland (also called Eire), which is a country covering about 80% of the island of Ireland.
- Northern Ireland, which covers about 20% of the island of Ireland and is politically part of the United Kingdom.
Note too that Ireland begins with a capital "I" because it is a name.
The word Ireland is pronounced /'aɪər.lənd/, with stress on first syllable.
Summary
The following table summarizes the relevant points about these three words:
| noun type | meaning | pronunciation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| island | common | land surrounded by water | /'aɪ.lənd/ |
| Iceland | proper | name of an island country in the North Atlantic Ocean | /'aɪs.lənd/ |
| Ireland | proper | name of an island to the west of Great Britain | /'aɪər.lənd/ |
Island, Ireland, Iceland Song
Row, row, row, hard across the sea
Row to my island in the middle of the sea
Row, row, row, hard across the sea
Row to my island in the middle of the sea
Ireland is an island in the middle of the sea
Row, row, row Baby: Row back home to me
Row, row, row, hard across the sea
Row to my island in the middle of the sea
Iceland is an island in the middle of the sea
Row, row, row Baby: Row back home to me
Row, row, row, hard across the sea
Row to my island in the middle of the sea
Row, row, row, hard across the sea
From Ireland to Iceland, row back home to me
Row, row, row, hard across the sea
From Ireland to Iceland, row back home to me
Row, row, row, hard across the sea
Row to my island in the middle of the sea
Row, row, row, your boat back home to me