Solo vs. Sole — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Urooj Arif — Updated on May 8, 2024
Solo refers to performing or doing something alone, like a solo performance, while sole means being the only one or exclusive, such as the sole owner of a business.
Difference Between Solo and Sole
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Solo is commonly used to describe an individual undertaking an activity alone, particularly in the arts. For instance, a solo flight or a solo musical performance involves a person acting independently. Sole, on the other hand, emphasizes exclusivity, referring to one individual or entity having full responsibility or rights over something, like being the sole proprietor of a company.
Solo typically has a connotation of individual achievement, often highlighting skills or independence. A solo journey or a soloist on stage exemplifies this, as the person takes on a task without assistance. In contrast, sole emphasizes uniqueness, indicating the absence of others. Being the sole heir or sole decision-maker means no one else shares that role.
Solo is often used in artistic, athletic, or adventurous contexts to denote a person's ability to excel independently, while sole finds its use more frequently in legal, business, or relational matters to identify exclusivity in roles or ownership.
In grammar, solo is an adjective, adverb, and noun, representing both an action and the person performing it. Sole is strictly an adjective.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Alone, without assistance
Only, unique, or exclusive
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Usage Context
Artistic, athletic, adventurous
Legal, business, relational
Connotation
Achievement, independence
Exclusivity, singularity
Grammar
Adjective, adverb, noun
Adjective
Example
Solo performance, solo flight
Sole heir, sole decision-maker
Compare with Definitions
Solo
Done independently.
The pilot completed his solo flight across the Atlantic.
Sole
Only or exclusive.
He is the sole owner of the business.
Solo
Without a companion.
She prefers to travel solo to explore freely.
Sole
Single, without others.
The sole survivor was rescued after days at sea.
Solo
Alone in a sport or game.
He went on a solo trek through the mountains.
Sole
Pertaining to one person only.
The agreement makes him the sole beneficiary.
Solo
Performed by one person.
Her violin solo captivated the audience.
Sole
Unique, having no counterpart.
The child's sole wish was to see his family.
Solo
Person who performs alone.
The soloist rehearsed diligently before the concert.
Sole
Exclusive responsibility.
She is the sole decision-maker for the team.
Solo
For or done by one person alone; unaccompanied
She'd spent most of her life flying solo
A solo album
Sole
A shipping forecast area in the north-eastern Atlantic, covering the western approaches to the English Channel.
Solo
For or done by one person alone; unaccompanied
A solo album
She'd spent most of her life flying solo
Sole
Put a new sole on to (a shoe)
He wanted several pairs of boots to be soled and heeled
Solo
A piece of vocal or instrumental music or a dance, or a part or passage in one, for one performer
The opening bassoon solo is relatively bland
Petipa often left the danseur to arrange his own brief solo
Sole
One and only
My sole aim was to contribute to the national team
Solo
An unaccompanied flight by a pilot in an aircraft
His first ride in his aircraft would also be his first solo
Sole
(especially of a woman) unmarried.
Solo
A card game resembling whist in which the players make bids and the highest bidder plays against the others in an attempt to win a specified number of tricks.
Sole
The underside of the foot.
Solo
A motorbike without a sidecar
50 races—solos and sidecars—should make for a thrilling showdown
Sole
The underside of a shoe or boot, often excluding the heel.
Solo
Perform an unaccompanied piece of music or a part or passage in one
You're in danger of forgetting that you're accompanying rather than soloing
Sole
The bottom surface of a plow.
Solo
Fly an aircraft unaccompanied
She had been flying for twelve years and had soloed on her seventeenth birthday
Sole
The bottom surface of the head of a golf club.
Solo
(Music) A composition or passage for an individual voice or instrument, with or without accompaniment.
Sole
Any of various chiefly marine flatfishes of the family Soleidae, having both eyes on the right side of the body, and including food fishes such as the Dover sole of the Atlantic Ocean.
Solo
A performance by a single singer or instrumentalist.
Sole
Any of various other flatfishes, especially certain flounders.
Solo
(Games) Any of various card games in which one player singly opposes others.
Sole
To furnish (a shoe or boot) with a sole.
Solo
(Music) Composed, arranged for, or performed by a single voice or instrument.
Sole
To put the sole of (a golf club) on the ground, as in preparing to make a stroke.
Solo
Made or done by a single individual.
Sole
Being the only one
The sole survivor of the crash.
Solo
Unaccompanied; alone
Flew solo from Anchorage to Miami.
Sole
Of or relating to only one individual or group; exclusive
She took sole command of the ship.
Solo
To perform a solo.
Sole
Only.
Solo
To fly an airplane without a companion or an instructor, especially for the first time.
Sole
(legal) Unmarried (especially of a woman); widowed.
Solo
To complete (a challenging endeavor) by oneself rather than with a partner or as part of a team
Soloed the north face of Mt. Everest.
Sole
Unique; unsurpassed.
The sole brilliance of this gem.
Solo
(music) A piece of music for one performer.
Sole
With independent power; unfettered.
A sole authority.
Solo
A job or performance done by one person alone.
Sole
(anatomy) The bottom or plantar surface of the foot.
Solo
(games) A card game similar to whist in which each player plays against the others in turn without a partner
Sole
(footwear) The bottom of a shoe or boot.
Solo
A single shot of espresso.
Sole
(obsolete) The foot itself.
Solo
(Gaelic football) An instance of soloing the football.
Sole
(fish) Solea solea, a flatfish of the family Soleidae.
Solo
Without a companion or instructor.
Sole
The bottom or lower part of anything, or that on which anything rests in standing.
Solo
(music) Of, or relating to, a musical solo.
Sole
The bottom of the body of a plough; the slade.
Solo
Alone, without a companion.
Sole
The bottom of a furrow.
Solo
(music) To perform a solo.
Sole
The end section of the chanter of a set of bagpipes.
Solo
To perform something in the absence of anyone else.
Sole
The horny substance under a horse's foot, which protects the more tender parts.
Solo
(Gaelic football) To drop the ball and then toe-kick it upward into the hands.
Sole
(military) The bottom of an embrasure.
Solo
A tune, air, strain, or a whole piece, played by a single person on an instrument, or sung by a single voice.
Sole
(nautical) A piece of timber attached to the lower part of the rudder, to make it even with the false keel.
Solo
Performing, or performed, alone; uncombined, except with subordinate parts, voices, or instruments; not concerted.
Sole
(nautical) The floor inside the cabin of a yacht or boat
Solo
Any activity that is performed alone without assistance
Sole
(mining) The seat or bottom of a mine; applied to horizontal veins or lodes.
Solo
A musical composition for one voice or instrument (with or without accompaniment)
Sole
A wooden band or yoke put around the neck of an ox or cow in the stall.
Solo
A flight in which the aircraft pilot is unaccompanied
Sole
A pond or pool; a dirty pond of standing water.
Solo
Fly alone, without a co-pilot or passengers
Sole
(transitive) to put a sole on (a shoe or boot)
Solo
Perform a piece written for a single instrument
Sole
To pull by the ears; to pull about; haul; lug.
Solo
Composed or performed by a single voice or instrument;
A passage for solo clarinet
Sole
Any one of several species of flatfishes of the genus Solea and allied genera of the family Soleidæ, especially the common European species (Solea vulgaris), which is a valuable food fish.
Solo
Without anybody else;
The child stayed home alone
He flew solo
Sole
The bottom of the foot; hence, also, rarely, the foot itself.
The dove found no rest for the sole of her foot.
Hast wandered through the world now long a day,Yet ceasest not thy weary soles to lead.
Sole
The bottom of a shoe or boot, or the piece of leather which constitutes the bottom.
The "caliga" was a military shoe, with a very thick sole, tied above the instep.
Sole
The bottom or lower part of anything, or that on which anything rests in standing.
Sole
To furnish with a sole; as, to sole a shoe.
Sole
Being or acting without another; single; individual; only.
He, be sure . . . first and last will reignSole king.
Sole
Single; unmarried; as, a feme sole.
Sole
The underside of footwear or a golfclub
Sole
Lean flesh of any of several flatfish
Sole
The underside of the foot
Sole
Right-eyed flatfish; many are valued as food; most common in warm seas especially European
Sole
Put a new sole on;
Sole the shoes
Sole
Not divided or shared with others;
They have exclusive use of the machine
Sole rights of publication
Sole
Being the only one; single and isolated from others;
The lone doctor in the entire county
A lonesome pine
An only child
The sole heir
The sole example
A solitary instance of cowardice
A solitary speck in the sky
Common Curiosities
Can solo be used as an adjective?
Yes, solo can be an adjective, like in "a solo artist."
Is sole limited to specific contexts?
Sole is often used in legal or business contexts to emphasize exclusivity.
What does solo mean?
Solo means performing or doing something alone.
Can solo be a noun?
Yes, solo is used as a noun to describe an individual performance or the performer.
Are there any synonyms for solo?
Synonyms include alone, unaccompanied, and single-handed.
What is a sole proprietor?
A sole proprietor is an individual who owns a business entirely on their own.
How does sole differ from solo?
Sole means being the only one or exclusive, while solo means doing something alone.
What is a soloist?
A soloist is someone who performs a solo piece in music or the arts.
What does "going solo" imply?
It implies doing something independently, without a group or partner.
How is sole used in law?
Sole often denotes exclusive rights or responsibilities, like in "sole custody."
Is "solely" the same as "solo"?
No, "solely" means exclusively or only, while "solo" refers to doing something alone.
What is the antonym of sole?
Antonyms of sole include shared, joint, and multiple.
Is solo ever used in business?
Yes, solo can describe individuals working alone, like a solo entrepreneur.
Can you have multiple solos in a performance?
Yes, multiple people can perform solos in a concert.
What are some common phrases with sole?
Examples include "sole authority," "sole discretion," and "sole responsibility."
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
