How to pronounce spell
Say it like SPEL. Spell is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce spell. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SPEL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Spell pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SPELSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of spell
American and British speakers say spell in essentially the same way: /spɛl/ in the US and /spɛl/ in the UK.
British respelling: SPEL.
What does spell mean?
- a psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation
- a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)“it's my go”“a spell of work”
- a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition“he was here for a little while”“I need to rest for a piece”
- orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of“How do you spell this word?”“We had to spell out our names for the police officer”
- indicate or signify“I'm afraid this spells trouble!”
- write or name the letters that comprise the conventionally accepted form of (a word or part of a word)“He spelled the word wrong in this letter”
Where does spell come from?
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.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with spell
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of spell.
Questions about saying spell
How do you pronounce spell?
Say SPEL. The American pronunciation is /spɛl/. In British English it is /spɛl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in spell?
Spell is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SPEL.
Do Americans and Brits say spell the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /spɛl/ and the British form is /spɛl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.