role and roll are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. role means “the actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group”. roll means “move by turning over or rotating”. roll is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈɹoʊl/
1.n.the actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group
“the function of a teacher”
2.n.an actor's portrayal of someone in a play
“she played the part of Desdemona”
3.n.what something is used for
“the function of an auger is to bore holes”
/ˈɹoʊl/
| role | roll | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹoʊl/ | /ˈɹoʊl/ |
| Said | rohl | rohl |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 4 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun | verb, noun |
| Senses | 4 | 33 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | function, office, part | turn over |
Full entry for role · Full entry for roll · More comparisons
1.v.move by turning over or rotating
“The child rolled down the hill”
2.v.move along on or as if on wheels or a wheeled vehicle
“The President's convoy rolled past the crowds”
3.v.occur in soft rounded shapes
“The hills rolled past”