# devil

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈdɛvəl/ · frequency rank #4,296

## Definitions
1. The chief devil; Satan.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁
Proto-Indo-European *dwísder.
Ancient Greek διά (diá)
Ancient Greek δια- (dia-)
Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-der.
Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō
Ancient Greek βᾰ́λλω (bắllō)
Ancient Greek διαβάλλω (diabállō)
Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos)bor.
Latin diabolusbor.
Proto-West Germanic *diubul
Old English dēofol
Middle English devel
English devil
From Middle English devil, devel, deovel, from Old English dēofol, from Proto-West Germanic *diubul, from Latin diabolus, ultimately from Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos, “false accuser, slanderer”), also as "Satan" (in Jewish/Christian usage, translating Biblical Hebrew שָׂטָן (śātān)), from διαβάλλω (diabállō, “to slander”), literally “to throw across”, from διά (diá, “through, across”) + βάλλω (bállō, “throw”). The Old English word was probably adopted under influence of Latin diabolus (itself from the Greek). Other Germanic languages adopted the word independently: compare Saterland Frisian Düüwel (“devil”), West Frisian duvel (“devil”), Dutch duivel, duvel (“devil”), German Low German Düvel (“devil”), German Teufel (“devil”), Bavarian Teifl (“devil”), Danish djævel (“devil”), Swedish djävul (“devil”) (older: djefvul, Old Swedish diævul, Old Norse djǫfull). Doublet of diable, diablo, and diabolus.

## Easily confused with
- **devs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devil-vs-devs)
- **devo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devil-vs-devo)
- **Devon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devil-vs-devon)
- **Devin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devil-vs-devin)
- **Duval** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devil-vs-duval)
- **Devos** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devil-vs-devos)
- **devils** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devil-vs-devils)
- **devoid** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devil-vs-devoid)
- **devise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devil-vs-devise)
- **Devlin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devil-vs-devlin)
- **Devine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devil-vs-devine)
- **Devito** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devil-vs-devito)
- **del** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/del-vs-devil)
- **dev** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dev-vs-devil)
- **DEI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dei-vs-devil)
- **deal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deal-vs-devil)
- **dell** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dell-vs-devil)
- **deli** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deli-vs-devil)
- **Desi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desi-vs-devil)
- **devi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/devi-vs-devil)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ddevil`, `deivl`, `devill`, `devli`, `devvil`, `dveil`, `edvil`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/devil