# thrall

> English word · Noun · IPA /θɹɔːl/ · frequency rank #37,252

## Definitions
1. Slave; one under the control of another.
2. The state of being under the control of another person.
3. A shelf; a stand for barrels, etc.

## Etymology
From Middle English thral, thralle, threl, threlle, from Old English þrǣl (“thrall, slave, servant”), from Old Norse þræll (“slave”), from Proto-Germanic *þrahilaz, *þragilaz, *þrigilaz (“runner, gofer, servant”), from Proto-Indo-European *tregʰ- (“to pull, drag, race, run”), possibly a variant of *dʰregʰ- (“to run”); related to Gothic 𐌸𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (þragjan), Old English þrǣġan (“to run”).

## Easily confused with
- **trail** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thrall-vs-trail)
- **troll** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thrall-vs-troll)
- **trill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thrall-vs-trill)
- **trawl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thrall-vs-trawl)
- **thrill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thrall-vs-thrill)
- **thrash** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thrall-vs-thrash)
- **Tyrell** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thrall-vs-tyrell)
- **thrills** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thrall-vs-thrills)
- **tall** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tall-vs-thrall)
- **Thrace** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thrace-vs-thrall)

## Common misspellings (8)
`htrall`, `tharll`, `thhrall`, `thral`, `thrlal`, `thrrall`, `trhall`, `tthrall`

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