French Conversation · Level 82
60 words
French word
épeler
Pronunciation
IPA/epəle/
Meaning
- verbspell
Example
Peux-tu épeler ton nom, s'il te plaît ?
Can you spell your name, please?
More examples
Il a dû épeler le mot au téléphone.
He had to spell the word on the phone.
Core concept
A speaker gives a listener a word one letter at a time so its written form becomes clear.
Common phrases
épeler son nom
spell his name
épeler un mot
spell a word
épeler lettre par lettre
spell letter by letter
Similar words
prononcer: Produce a sound or syllable using the voice.
écrire: Represent letters or words in writing on paper or a screen.
orthographier: Write a word using its correct spelling.
lire: Read letters or words aloud after looking at them.
Definition in French
Prononcer successivement les lettres d'un mot pour indiquer son orthographe.
Word origin
The modern verb épeler developed from Old French espeler, which already referred to naming the letters of a word one by one.
Usage tips
- French uses épeler for saying letters aloud, while orthographier more often means spelling or writing a word correctly.
Related words
- épellationspellingnoun
- épelleurspellernoun