# sell

> English word · Verb · IPA /sɛl/ · frequency rank #1,128

## Definitions
1. To transfer goods or provide services in exchange for money.
2. To be sold.
3. To promote (a product or service) although not being paid in any direct way or at all.
4. To promote (a particular viewpoint).
5. To betray for money or other things.
6. To trick, cheat, or manipulate someone.
7. To pretend that an opponent's blows or maneuvers are causing legitimate injury; to act.
8. To throw under the bus; to let down one's own team in an endeavour, especially in a sport or a game.

## Etymology
From Middle English sellen, from Old English sellan (“give; give up for money”), from Proto-West Germanic *salljan, from Proto-Germanic *saljaną, from Proto-Indo-European *selh₁-.
Cognates
Cognate with Scots sell (“to sell”), Danish sælge (“to sell”), Faroese, Icelandic selja (“to sell”), Norwegian Bokmål selge (“to sell”), Norwegian Nynorsk selja, selje (“to sell”), Swedish sälja (“to sell”), Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (saljan, “to pay tribute, make an offer”).

## Easily confused with
- **SL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-sl)
- **set** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-set)
- **sex** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-sex)
- **sen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-sen)
- **SEO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-seo)
- **SEP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-sep)
- **sol** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-sol)
- **ser** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-ser)
- **sew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-sew)
- **sly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-sly)
- **SQL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-sql)
- **ses** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-ses)
- **sem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-sem)
- **SNL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-snl)
- **SEQ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-seq)
- **sil** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-sil)
- **SLR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-slr)
- **Sul** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-sul)
- **SLC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-slc)
- **SLA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-sla)

## Common misspellings (3)
`esll`, `slel`, `ssell`

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