Word
spell
US/ˈspɛɫ/
UK/spˈɛl/
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
spell
Past
spelled / spelt
Past participle
spelled / spelt
Definitions
01to write letters
A1 · Beginner
v. to say or write the letters of a word in the correct order.
v. to name, write, or signal in order the letters of a word or part of a word.
日本語:つづる※
“Could you please spell your last name for the receptionist?”
“The teacher asked the students to spell the most difficult vocabulary words from the chapter before the quiz began.”
Pitfall
How do you spell of your name?
How do you spell your name?
The verb 'spell' is transitive and takes the word being spelled as a direct object without a preposition.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02to mean or result in
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to mean that something, usually something bad, is going to happen.
v. to signify or lead to a particular result, typically an undesirable one.
“The dark clouds in the distance could spell trouble for our hiking trip.”
“Economists warned that the sudden rise in oil prices could spell disaster for the recovering manufacturing sector.”
03to explain clearly
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to explain something in a very clear and detailed way.
v. to make something explicit or to explain in detail; often used with the particle 'out'.
“You don't need to spell out every detail; I understand the main idea.”
“The contract spells out the exact responsibilities of each partner to avoid any future legal disputes.”
Usage
Often used as the phrasal verb 'spell out'.
Antonyms
04magic
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a piece of magic or a set of secret words that have magical power.
n. a spoken word, formula, or form of words held to have magic power; an incantation.
“In the story, the witch cast a spell on the prince to turn him into a frog.”
“The ancient legends describe a powerful spell that could only be broken by a selfless act of courage.”
05a short period
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a short period of time, often spent doing a specific activity or experiencing a type of weather.
n. a definite or indefinite period of time, often characterized by a particular activity, condition, or weather pattern.
“We had a brief spell of warm weather in the middle of October.”
“After a long spell of unemployment, he finally secured a position at a local engineering firm.”
06a turn of work
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. a turn or shift of work.
n. a period of work or duty; a shift.
“The sailors took a four-hour spell at the wheel during the storm.”
“Each worker was required to complete a grueling spell in the mines before being promoted to a supervisory role.”
07musical notation
C2 · Proficiency Music Technical
v. to write a musical note in a specific way using its name.
v. to notate a pitch or interval using a specific enharmonic name.
“The composer chose to spell the note as an E-flat rather than a D-sharp.”
“In this specific harmonic context, it is more theoretically accurate to spell the chord with a diminished seventh.”
Usage
Used when choosing between enharmonic equivalents like G-sharp and A-flat.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “spell” in context.
Verb
01. break the spell
“A loud cough from the back of the room was enough to break the spell of the quiet moment.”
verb + noun
02. cast a spell on the audience
“The virtuoso's performance seemed to cast a spell on the entire audience.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
03. spell disaster for the economy
“The sudden collapse of the major bank could spell disaster for the national economy.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
04. spell out the terms
“The contract needs to clearly spell out the terms of the agreement to avoid future disputes.”
verb + adv + noun
05. spell trouble for the team
“The star player's injury will likely spell trouble for the team in the upcoming playoffs.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
Adjective
06. brief spell of dizziness
“She sat down for a moment after experiencing a brief spell of dizziness.”
adj + noun + of + noun
07. cold spell
“The sudden cold spell caught many commuters off guard this morning.”
adj + noun
08. prolonged dry spell
“Farmers are concerned that the prolonged dry spell will ruin this year's harvest.”
adj + noun
Preposition
09. under a spell
“He listened to her stories as if he were under a spell, completely oblivious to his surroundings.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“The recurring climate phenomenon is expected to peak later this year, but it is already causing dry spells and crop failures on three continents.” “This, Green believed, would weave a heady spell for cinemagoers of all ages.” Etymology
From Middle English spell, spel, from Old English spell (“news, story”), from Proto-Germanic spellą (“speech, account, tale”), from Proto-Indo-European (s)pel- (“to tell”) or from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to speak, to sound”) with the s-mobile prefix. Cognate with dialectal German Spill, Icelandic spjall (“discussion, talk”), spjalla (“to discuss, to talk”), guðspjall (“gospel”) and Albanian fjalë (“word”).
From Middle English spellen, from Anglo-Norman espeler, espeleir, Old French espeller, espeler (compare Modern French épeler), from Frankish spelōn, merged with native Old English spellian (“to tell, speak”), both eventually from Proto-Germanic spellōną (“to speak”). Related with etymology 1. The sense “indicate a future event” probably in part a backformation from forespell (literally “to tell in advance”).
From Middle English spelen, from Old English spelian (“to represent, take or stand in the place of another, act as a representative of another”), akin to Middle English spale (“a rest or break”), Old English spala (“representative, substitute”).
From Middle English spel (“a thin piece of wood”), from Old Norse [Term?].
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Idioms
01. set a spell
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/spell
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0