wail vs yell

wail and yell both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
wail	Yes	No	Yes	No
yell	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, yell is a hypernym of wail; that is, yell is a word with a broader meaning than wail:

Other hypernyms of wail include call, cry, holler, hollo, scream, shout, shout out, squall.

wail (noun)	yell (noun)
a cry of sorrow and grief	a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
	a loud utterance of emotion (especially when inarticulate)

wail (verb)	yell (verb)
cry weakly or softly	utter or declare in a very loud voice
emit long loud cries	utter a sudden loud cry