repel
re·pel/ɹɪˈpɛl/verb
repel is spelled R-E-P-E-L: 5 letters and 2 syllables (re·pel). It appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, repel means “To reject, put off (a request, demand etc.)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in repel?
| Letters | 5: R-E-P-E-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: re·pel |
| In writing | 1.6 times per million words; the 22,362nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is repel?
Repel appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd 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 repel?
- /ɹɪˈpɛl/
Repel has 2 syllables, split re·pel in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-repel.ogg, En-au-repel.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with repel?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as repel.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: leper.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of repel
- repels present, singular, he/she/it
- repelling participle, present
- repelled participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does repel mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
archaicTo turn (someone) away from a privilege, right, job, etc.
- 2
To reject, put off (a request, demand etc.).
- 3
To ward off (a malignant influence, attack etc.).
- 4
To drive back (an assailant, advancing force etc.).
- 5
To force away by means of a repulsive force.
- 6
To cause repulsion or dislike in; to disgust.
- 7
To save (a shot).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Repel in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | rebuter, repousser |
| German | zurückweisen, abweisen , abwehren , zurückdrängen, zurückwerfen |
| Portuguese | repelir |
| Spanish | repeler |
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 repel come from?
From Middle English repellen, a borrowing from Old French *repeller, from Latin repellere (“to drive back”), from re- (“back”) + pellere (“to drive”). Doublet of repeal.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).