ello

Ello is an informal English greeting, a phonetic variant of "hello" used in casual speech. It appears in writing to convey a relaxed or regional voice, or as an exclamation, as in "Ello there!" The form is nonstandard and primarily found in dialectal or humorous contexts.

Etymology and usage: The spelling "ello" reflects casual pronunciation in some British dialects, notably Cockney and Estuary speech. In most formal contexts, "hello" is preferred. Outside of language, "ello" also appears as a brand name or product name.

Ello (the social network): Ello is a social networking service founded in 2014 by Paul Budnitz and Todd Berger. Marketed as an ad-free, privacy-oriented platform with a focus on artists and designers, it gained attention during the early growth of social media. It began with an invite-only phase and positioned itself as a creator-friendly alternative to mainstream networks. Over time, its user base and visibility diminished, but Ello continued to operate with features aimed at creative communities and independent publishing.

In contemporary usage, the term "ello" largely remains a colloquial greeting, while "Ello" as a brand name is associated with the social network and several other ventures; the two are distinct and not generally interchangeable.