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PlainSpell

fellow

fel·lowUK /ˈfɛ.ləʊ/noun

fellow is spelled F-E-L-L-O-W: 6 letters and 2 syllables (fel·low). It appears 58 times per million words in written English, the 1,793rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, fellow means “A companion; a comrade” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of fellow is fellows.

How many letters and syllables are in fellow?

Letters6: F-E-L-L-O-W
Syllables2: fel·low
In writing58 times per million words; the 1,793rd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Sounds like

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is fellow?

Fellow appears 58 times per million words in written English, the 1,793rd most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce fellow?

  • UK /ˈfɛ.ləʊ/
  • /ˈfɛ.lo/
  • /ˈfɛ.lou/

Fellow has 2 syllables, split fel·low in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-fellow.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with fellow

Sounds like: felloe (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).

Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

Forms of fellow

  • fellows plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • fellowing participle, present
  • fellowed participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does fellow mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    A companion; a comrade.

  2. 2

    An animal which is a member of a breed or species, or a flock, herd, etc.

  3. 3

    An object which is associated with another object; especially, as part of a set.

  4. 4

    One comparable in characteristics with another; especially, as belonging to the same class or group.

    my fellow Americans

  5. 5

    One with abilities, achievements, skills, etc., equal to those of another; a thing with characteristics, worth, etc., equal to those of another thing.

    {{|en|to be without fellow}}

  6. 6

    One in the same condition, or situation of need, as another.

  7. 7

    archaicAn equal in character, power, rank, etc.; a peer.

  8. 8

    archaicOne living at the same time, or about the same age as another, especially when in the same field of study or work.

verb

  1. 1

    archaicTo address (someone) as "fellow", especially in an insulting manner (see noun sense 10.6).

  2. 2

    archaicTo equal (someone or something); also, to cause or find someone or something to be equal to (another).

  3. 3

    obsoleteTo pair or suit (someone or something) with another; also, to pair or suit someone or something with (another); to arrange (things) in pairs.

  4. 4

    obsoleteTo associate or join (oneself, someone, or something) with another in companionship or a partnership.

  5. 5

    obsoleteTo cause or portray (someone or something) to be equal to (another).

  6. 6

    obsoleteTo associate or go together with (someone or something); to become a partner of (someone or something).

  7. 7

    obsoleteTo associate or join with a someone or something in companionship or a partnership.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

How do you abbreviate fellow?

Wiktionary records one abbreviation of fellow: F.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Fellow in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchami, camarade (companion; comrade – see also companion…), congénère (animal which is a member of a breed or species…), paire (object which is associated with another object), semblable (one comparable in characteristics with another), compagnon (one in the same condition, or situation of…)
GermanGefährte, Kamerad (companion; comrade – see also companion…), Paar (object which is associated with another object)
Portuguesecamarada, colega, companheiro, parceiro (companion; comrade – see also companion…), indivíduo, pessoa (informal: familiar term of address to a man)
Spanishcon- (one comparable in characteristics with another), hombre, muchacho, tipo (informal: familiar term of address to a man), congénere (equal in character, power, rank, etc)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does fellow come from?

From Middle English felawe, felowe (“companion, good friend”) from Old English fēolaga, from Old Norse félagi, derived from félag (“joint venture; partnership”, literally “a laying together of property”), from fé (“livestock, property; money”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peḱ- (“livestock; wealth”)) + lag (“something laid down; right position; arrangement; companionship, fellowship; partnership”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (“to lie down”)).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after fellow