# swell

> English word · Verb · IPA /swɛl/ · frequency rank #12,339

## Definitions
1. To become bigger, especially due to being engorged.
2. To cause to become bigger.
3. To grow gradually in force or loudness.
4. To cause to grow gradually in force or loudness.
5. To raise to arrogance; to puff up; to inflate.
6. To be raised to arrogance.
7. To be elated; to rise arrogantly.
8. To be turgid, bombastic, or extravagant.
9. To protuberate; to bulge out.

## Etymology
From Middle English swellen, from Old English swellan (“to swell”), from Proto-West Germanic *swellan, from Proto-Germanic *swellaną (“to swell”), of unknown origin.
Cognate with Saterland Frisian swälle (“to swell”), West Frisian swolle (“to swell”), Dutch zwellen (“to swell”), Low German swellen (“to swell”), German schwellen (“to swell”), Swedish svälla (“to swell”), Icelandic svella. The adjective may derive from the noun.

## Easily confused with
- **swept** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swell-vs-swept)
- **swirl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swell-vs-swirl)
- **swelled** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swell-vs-swelled)
- **Sel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sel-vs-swell)
- **self** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-swell)
- **sell** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-swell)
- **seal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seal-vs-swell)
- **sill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sill-vs-swell)
- **still** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/still-vs-swell)
- **small** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/small-vs-swell)
- **shall** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shall-vs-swell)
- **sweet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sweet-vs-swell)
- **steel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/steel-vs-swell)
- **swear** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swear-vs-swell)
- **smell** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/smell-vs-swell)
- **skill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/skill-vs-swell)
- **steal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/steal-vs-swell)
- **shell** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shell-vs-swell)
- **spell** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spell-vs-swell)
- **sweat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sweat-vs-swell)

## Common misspellings (6)
`sewll`, `sswell`, `swel`, `swlel`, `swwell`, `wsell`

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