cell wall

/sɛl wɔːl/

//sɛl wɔːl// noun

"cell-wall" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cell wall” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A rigid, non-living structural layer located outside the cell membrane in certain cells, such as those of plants, fungi, bacteria, and some algae, providing support, shape, and protection.

Key facts for cell wall
PropertyValue
Headwordcell wall
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/sɛl wɔːl/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cell wall” sits in English frequency

cell wall falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cell wall is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /sɛl wɔːl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A rigid, non-living structural layer located outside the cell membrane in certain cells, such as those of plants, fungi, bacteria, and some algae, providing support, shape, and protection.".

cell wall has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct English form is cell wall, spelled C-E-L-L- -W-A-L-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A rigid, non-living structural layer located outside the cell membrane in certain cells, such as those of plants, fungi, bacteria, and some algae, providing support, shape, and protection.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cell wall"?
"cell wall" is spelled C-E-L-L- -W-A-L-L. The IPA pronunciation is /sɛl wɔːl/.
What does "cell wall" mean?
As a noun, "cell wall" means: A rigid, non-living structural layer located outside the cell membrane in certain cells, such as those of plants, fungi, bacteria, and some algae, providing support, shape, and protection.
How do you pronounce "cell wall"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cell wall" is /sɛl wɔːl/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cell wall" come from?
"cell wall" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “cell wall”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is C-E-L-L- -W-A-L-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /sɛl wɔːl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list