2 syllables: ex, pel. Stress on pel.
/ɪkˈspɛl/
Say it backExpel means to force or drive out something or someone, especially from a place or organization. It can refer to ejecting a substance, banishing a person, or removing air or gas. The term implies a deliberate act of expulsion and often involves a formal or authoritative context.
"The sick student was expelled from the dormitory for violating rules."
"The vacuum pump expels air from the chamber."
"During the meeting, the board voted to expel the disruptive member."
Pronounce it as /ɪkˈspɛl/. The first syllable is reduced, sounding like “ik,” but the primary stress falls on the second syllable: “spell” without the second 'l' sound, so it’s a crisp ‘spel’ after the initial ‘ik’. Your lips come together to release the final /l/, with the /p/ as a brief stop just before the /sp/ blend. Think: ik-SPEL. A quick audio reference would be Cambridge or Merriam-Webster pronunciations.
Two common errors are: (1) misplacing the stress, saying ex-PEL with the emphasis on the first syllable; (2) adding an extra vowel, producing ek-suh-pel or eks-pull instead of ik-SPEL. Ensure the /ɪ/ is light in the first syllable, and the /sp/ cluster flows directly into /e/; keep the /p/ as a voiceless stop rather than releasing it with aspiration after the /k/ or delaying it. Practicing the exact /ɪkˈspɛl/ helps stabilize rhythm and reduces vowel insertion.
In US/UK/AU, /ɪkˈspɛl/ remains the core pronunciation, but you may hear subtle differences: US English often has a tighter vowel for /ɛ/ and a slightly rhotic feel in surrounding vowels; UK English may have a shorter, crisper vowel and less vocalic length; Australian English tends to be even more clipped with a marginally higher vowel in /e/ and a quick follow-through on the /l/. The primary stress remains on the second syllable in all three, with minor vowel quality variations.
The challenge is the crisp /sp/ sequence after a short /ɪ/ vowel: ik-SPEL requires a tight mouth posture to blend the /k/-free transition into /sp/ without inserting a schwa. The /ε/ vowel in /spɛl/ should be pure and unrounded; many speakers insert extra vowels or voice the /p/ awkwardly. Also, the /l/ at the end needs clear alveolar contact and light emission. Practice by isolating the /sp/ onset and ensuring the vowel stays steady while the tongue rolls into /l/ without trailing sound.
Place primary stress on the second syllable: ex-PÉL. This is a two-syllable verb with initial unstressed syllable followed by a strong punch on /ˈspɛl/. To train this, practice saying quick inconsequential phrases like ‘to ex-PÉL’ and ‘we ex-PÉL someone’ to cement the two-syllable rhythm and ensure the stress does not drift to the first syllable.
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Expel comes from the Latin expellere, formed from e- ‘out’ + pellere ‘to drive, push’. The Latin term evolved into Old French expeller, then Middle English expellen before settling as expel. The core sense—drive out or push away—remained constant, but the word broadened from physical expulsion (ejecting a liquid, gas, or object) to more abstract banishment or removal (e.g., expelling a student, expelling air from a room). In English, the verb gained usage in legal and organizational contexts in the 16th–18th centuries, reflecting formal authority to remove a member or status. The pronunciation has remained stable: /ɪkˈspɛl/ in most varieties, with the stem expel anchoring on the second syllable stress after the initial syllable. First known written attestations appear in legal and scholastic English sources, where expulsions were commonly described in rules and decrees. The word’s morphemes are transparent: the prefix ex- meaning ‘out’ and the root pel- meaning ‘to drive’ or ‘to push.’ Over time, expel also took on medical and natural science senses (e.g., expelling gas), illustrating its broad applicability to deliberate outward movement of something from a container, body, or institution.
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Words that rhyme with "expel"
-pel sounds
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