spell

Pronunciation

• enPR: spĕl
• IPA: /spɛl/
• SAMPA: /spEl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Verb

Plain form (yanzu) spell

3rd-person singular (ana cikin yi) spells

Past tense (ya wuce) spelled

Past participle (ya wuce) spelled

Present participle (ana cikin yi) spelling

Plain form (yanzu) spell

3rd-person singular (ana cikin yi) spells

Past tense (ya wuce) spelt

Past participle (ya wuce) spelt

Present participle (ana cikin yi) spelling

1. (of letters) To make up a word. <> rubuta kalma.

   C, A and T spell cat.

2. To say or write all the letters that make up a word, in the right order. <> rubuta kalma.

   Jack says: "Spell cat for me, Jill."

   Jill says: "C-A-T."

3. To spell all the words in a language correctly. <> rubuta kalma.

   Jack says: I thought cat was spelled K-A-T.

   Jill says: That is because you cannot spell very well.

Synonyms

• spell out

Related words

• parse

Noun

Singular spell

Plural spells

1. A spell is an amount of time. <> wa'adin lokaci.
   • Synonyms: period and time

   He stayed in his house for quite a spell.

2. What happens during an amount of time. <> abinda ya faru a wani lokaci.

   We've had a bad spell of weather.

3. Words supposed to have a magical power, or the effect they are supposed to have. <> sihiri.
   • Synonym: incantation

   He cast a spell on us.

   The witch cast an evil spell on the princess.