Eskimo vs. Aleut — What's the Difference?

A member of indigenous peoples of the Arctic.

A native of the Aleutian Islands.

Pertaining to the Eskimo-Aleut language family.

Speaker of the Unangam Tunuu language.

Known for constructing igloos.

Influenced by Russian Orthodox Christianity.

Reliant on subsistence hunting.

Uses local materials for craft.

Cultural practices include animism.

Lives in uniquely constructed homes.

Eskimo ( ESS-kih-moh) or Eskimos is a term used to refer to two closely related Indigenous peoples: The Inuit (including the Alaskan Iñupiat, the Greenlandic Inuit, and the Canadian Inuit) and the Yupik (or Yuit) of eastern Siberia and Alaska. A related third group, the Aleut, which inhabit the Aleutian Islands, are generally excluded from the definition of Eskimo.

The Aleuts ( (listen) A-lee-OOT; Russian: Алеуты, romanized: Aleuty) are the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands. In the Aleut language they are known by the endonyms Unangan (eastern dialect) and Unangas (western dialect), both of which mean "people".Both the Aleut people and the islands are divided between the US state of Alaska and the Russian administrative division of Kamchatka Krai.

A member of any of a group of peoples inhabiting the Arctic coastal regions of North America and parts of Greenland and northeast Siberia. See Usage Note at Native American.

A member of an indigenous people inhabiting the Aleutian Islands and coastal areas of southwest Alaska.

Any of the languages of the Eskimo peoples.

The Eskimo-Aleut language of the Aleut. See Usage Note at Native American.

One of a peculiar race inhabiting Arctic America and Greenland. In many respects the Eskimos resemble the Mongolian race.

A member of the people inhabiting the Aleutian Islands and western Alaska

A member of a people inhabiting the Arctic (northern Canada or Greenland or Alaska or eastern Siberia); the Algonquians called them Eskimo (`eaters of raw flesh') but they call themselves the Inuit (`the people')

The language spoken by the Aleut people

The language spoken by the Eskimo people

Eskimos are famous for their igloos, while Aleuts traditionally lived in barabaras, or subterranean homes.

Aleuts are known for their skills in making waterproof clothing and kayaks from local materials.

Eskimos are indigenous peoples of the Arctic, known for their adaptations to cold environments and subsistence hunting.

Seals, whales, and caribou are central to Eskimo subsistence and culture.

Aleuts primarily live in the Aleutian Islands and southwestern Alaska.

Eskimos wear clothing made from animal skins, adapted for extreme cold.

Russian explorers and traders heavily influenced Aleut religious and cultural practices from the mid-18th century.

Eskimo languages include Inuit and Yupik, whereas Aleut language is known as Unangam Tunuu.

Both communities rely on hunting and fishing, but Eskimos are more dependent on large marine mammals.

Eskimos often practice animism and shamanism, believing in the spiritual essence of animals and nature.

Aleuts are adept at building and using kayaks for hunting and transportation.

Barabaras offer protection against the harsh maritime climate of the Aleutian Islands by being partially underground.