cell and sell are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. cell means “any small compartment”. sell means “exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent”.
/ˈsɛl/
1.n.any small compartment
“the cells of a honeycomb”
2.n.(biology) the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms; they may exist as independent units of life (as in monads) or may form colonies or tissues as in higher plants and animals
3.n.a device that delivers an electric current as the result of a chemical reaction
/ˈsɛl/
| cell | sell | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈsɛl/ | /ˈsɛl/ |
| Said | sel | sel |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 4 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun | verb, noun |
| Senses | 7 | 9 |
| How common | Core | Core |
| Synonyms | none recorded | none recorded |
Full entry for cell · Full entry for sell · More comparisons
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”