# duel

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈˈd͡ʒuːəl/ · frequency rank #12,039

## Definitions
1. Arranged, regular combat between two private persons, often over a matter of honor.
2. Historically, the wager of battle (judicial combat).
3. Any battle or struggle between two contending persons, forces, groups, or ideas.

## Etymology
From Medieval Latin duellum (“fight between two men, duel”), itself from Old Latin duellum (“war, fight”), which survived in Classical Latin as a rare byform of bellum and was later reinterpreted as “duel” by unetymological association with duo (“two”).
May have entered English through Middle French duel.

## Easily confused with
- **duo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-duo)
- **dug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-dug)
- **dye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-dye)
- **duh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-duh)
- **DUI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-dui)
- **dun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-dun)
- **dum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-dum)
- **dup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-dup)
- **dur** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-dur)
- **duty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-duty)
- **dumb** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-dumb)
- **duke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-duke)
- **dust** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-dust)
- **dump** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-dump)
- **dull** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-dull)
- **Dunn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-dunn)
- **dunk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-dunk)
- **duly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-duly)
- **dusk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-dusk)
- **duet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/duel-vs-duet)

## Common misspellings (5)
`dduel`, `deul`, `duell`, `dule`, `udel`

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