Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell shell

Shell is spelled S-H-E-L-L. The part people get wrong: double L.

What it means: The hard outer covering of certain animals.

In a sentence: The turtle hid inside its hard shell. ▶

The part people get wrong

Watch for double l.

Same family: shelled, shelling, unshelled, husk, peel. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: The verb "shell" comes from the noun "shell," originally meaning a hard outer covering like a husk or a nut shell. Over time, English speakers began using it as a verb to mean "remove the shell or husk," especially with grains, nuts, and peas.

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