betray and sell share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. betray means “reveal unintentionally”. sell means “exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent”. sell is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/bɪˈtɹeɪ/
1.v.reveal unintentionally
“Her smile betrayed her true feelings”
2.v.deliver to an enemy by treachery
“Judas sold Jesus”
3.v.disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake
“His sense of smell failed him this time”
/ˈsɛl/
1.v.exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent
“He sold his house in January”
2.v.be sold at a certain price or in a certain way
“These books sell like hot cakes”
3.v.persuade somebody to accept something
“The French try to sell us their image as great lovers”
| betray | sell | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /bɪˈtɹeɪ/ | /ˈsɛl/ |
| Said | bi-TRAY | sel |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 6 | 9 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | bewray | none recorded |
Full entry for betray · Full entry for sell · More comparisons