# fell

> English word · Verb · IPA /fɛl/ · frequency rank #1,483

## Definitions
1. To make something fall; especially to chop down a tree.
2. To strike down, kill, destroy.
3. To stitch down a protruding flap of fabric, as a seam allowance, or pleat.

## Etymology
From Middle English fellen, from Old English fellan, fiellan (“to cause to fall, strike down, fell, cut down, throw down, defeat, destroy, kill, tumble, cause to stumble”), from Proto-West Germanic *fallijan, from Proto-Germanic *fallijaną (“to fell, to cause to fall”), causative of Proto-Germanic *fallaną (“to fall”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂peh₃lH-.
Cognate with Dutch vellen (“to fell, cut down”), German fällen (“to fell”), Danish fælde (“to fell”), Norwegian felle (“to fell”).

## Easily confused with
- **FL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-fl)
- **few** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-few)
- **fly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-fly)
- **flu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-flu)
- **FLA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-fla)
- **fil** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-fil)
- **Flo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-flo)
- **fer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-fer)
- **fey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-fey)
- **fez** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-fez)
- **fem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-fem)
- **fen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-fen)
- **FES** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-fes)
- **FET** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-fet)
- **FTL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-ftl)
- **feu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-feu)
- **full** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-full)
- **film** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-film)
- **felt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-felt)
- **file** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-file)

## Common misspellings (3)
`efll`, `ffell`, `flel`

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