spell out

phrasal-verb
UK: /ˈspel ˈaʊt/
US: /ˈspel ˈaʊt/

  1. To explain something very clearly and simply.

    1. I had to spell out the instructions for him.
    2. The teacher had to spell out the rules to the new students because they were confused about what to do.

  2. To state something in a clear and detailed way, leaving no room for doubt.

    1. The contract spells out exactly what is expected of each party.
    2. The company policy spells out the consequences of violating safety regulations, so everyone is aware.

  3. To form a word or words by naming the letters in the correct order.

    1. Can you spell out your name for me, please?
    2. The child is learning to spell out simple words like cat and dog in their reading class.

Synonyms

explain clarify detail specify indicate mean entail result
spell out transitive-verb

  1. To have something, usually bad, as a result.

    1. This could spell out disaster for the company.
    2. Ignoring these warning signs could spell out trouble for our project, so we need to act quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "spell out" in English means: To explain something very clearly and simply., To state something in a clear and detailed way, leaving no room for doubt., To form a word or words by naming the letters in the correct order..

The phonetic transcription of "spell out" is /ˈspel ˈaʊt/ in British English and /ˈspel ˈaʊt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "spell out": explain, clarify, detail, specify, indicate, mean, entail, result.

Example usage of "spell out": "I had to spell out the instructions for him.". More examples on the page.