spell
(verb, noun)
past tense: spelled, spelt
LISTEN
A magic spell
If you spell something, it means that ‘you write a word with the correct letters.’
- Did I spell that word right?
- How do you spell ‘through’?
If you spell something, it can also mean that ‘you tell someone the correct letters in a word.’
- “Can you spell your name for me?” “Yes, it’s G-U-I-L-L-A-U-M-E.”
A spell is ‘a kind of magic.’ When someone uses a spell, it means that they use magic to change something.
- The witch put a spell on the prince and his castle.
In pop culture
Do you know the song “I Put a Spell on You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins? It’s about a man who doesn’t like the things that his girlfriend is doing. He says he will put a spell on her so that she stops. Listen for these words in the song: “I put a spell on you / Because you’re mine / You better (=should) stop the things you do.”
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