spellbound
/ˈspɛlˌbaʊnd/adjective
spellbound is spelled S-P-E-L-L-B-O-U-N-D: 10 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 43,663rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, spellbound means “Under the influence of a magical spell; enchanted, bewitched, or supernaturally constrained” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in spellbound?
| Letters | 10: S-P-E-L-L-B-O-U-N-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 43,663rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is spellbound?
Spellbound appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 43,663rd 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 spellbound?
- US /ˈspɛlˌbaʊnd/
Spellbound has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-spellbound.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-spellbound.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with spellbound
Also written: spell-bound (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of spellbound
- more spellbound comparative
- most spellbound superlative
- spell-bound
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does spellbound mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Under the influence of a magical spell; enchanted, bewitched, or supernaturally constrained.
- 2
Fascinated by something; entranced as if by a spell; captivated.
The story left the children spellbound.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Spellbound in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense fascinated by something; entranced as if by a spell:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | envoûté, fasciné |
| German | gebannt, bezaubert |
| Portuguese | encantado, fascinado |
| Spanish | embobado |
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 spellbound come from?
From spell + bound.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).