Relieve vs. Spell — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 15, 2024
"Relieve" generally means to alleviate pain or burden, while "spell" refers to replacing someone temporarily in a task or duty.
Difference Between Relieve and Spell
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Relieve" is used when referring to the act of easing pain, stress, or a burden. On the other hand, "spell" in this context means to take over someone's duties temporarily, allowing them a break.
Relieve is often associated with providing comfort or a reduction in discomfort in a physical, emotional, or psychological sense. Whereas, spell is used more in scenarios involving shifts or periodic breaks, such as in work or continuous activities.
When someone says they need relief, they are typically expressing a need to be freed from something distressing or painful. Conversely, when someone needs to be spelled, they are usually asking for someone to substitute for them, providing a temporary respite from their duties.
In medical or therapeutic contexts, relieve is used to describe actions that reduce symptoms or heal conditions. In contrast, spell is seldom used in these contexts, maintaining its focus on temporary substitution in duties or roles.
The use of relieve in sentences often involves verbs like "help," "ease," or "alleviate," focusing on the action of making a situation less burdensome. On the other hand, spell often pairs with verbs like "take over," "substitute," or "replace," emphasizing the act of taking someone's place.
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Comparison Chart
Meaning
To alleviate discomfort or distress.
To temporarily take someone’s duties or role.
Usage Context
Medical, emotional, logistical relief.
Work-related, duty substitution.
Associated With
Comfort, easing pain.
Replacement, temporary breaks.
Example Action
Relieving pain with medication.
Spelling a coworker during a lunch break.
Verb Partners
Help, ease, alleviate.
Take over, substitute, replace.
Compare with Definitions
Relieve
To free from a duty, obligation, or discomfort.
She was relieved from her position at the company.
Spell
To take over someone’s duties temporarily.
I'll spell you at the reception desk while you take your break.
Relieve
To provide relief from distress or suffering.
The aid relief helped to relieve famine conditions.
Spell
To substitute for someone in a role or position.
The assistant manager spelled the manager while she was on vacation.
Relieve
To ease emotional or psychological stress.
Talking to a friend can relieve stress.
Spell
To provide a break by replacing someone.
Can you spell me for a few hours tomorrow?
Relieve
To perform an action that diminishes discomfort in another.
He relieved the pressure on the wound by adjusting the bandage.
Spell
To name or write in order the letters constituting (a word).
Relieve
To cause a lessening or alleviation of
Relieved all his symptoms.
Relieved the tension.
Spell
To constitute the letters of (a word)
These letters spell animal.
Relieve
To make less tedious, monotonous, or unpleasant
Only one small candle relieved the gloom.
Spell
To add up to; signify
Their unwise investment could spell financial ruin.
Relieve
To free from pain, anxiety, or distress
I was relieved by the news that they had arrived home safely.
Spell
To name or write in order the letters of a word or words
I've never been able to spell very well.
Relieve
To furnish assistance or aid to
Relieve the flooded region.
Spell
To put (someone) under a spell; bewitch.
Relieve
To rescue from siege.
Spell
To relieve (someone) from work temporarily by taking a turn.
Relieve
To release (a person) from an obligation, restriction, or burden.
Spell
To allow (someone) to rest a while.
Relieve
To free from a specified duty by providing or acting as a substitute.
Spell
To take turns working.
Relieve
(Baseball) To enter the game as a relief pitcher after (another pitcher).
Spell
(Australian) To rest for a time from an activity.
Relieve
(Informal) To rob or deprive
Pickpockets relieved him of his money.
Spell
A word or formula believed to have magic power.
Relieve
(Archaic) To make prominent or effective by contrast; set off.
Spell
A bewitched state or trance
The sorcerer put the prince under a spell.
Relieve
(transitive) To ease (a person, person's thoughts etc.) from mental distress; to stop (someone) feeling anxious or worried, to alleviate the distress of.
I was greatly relieved by the jury's verdict.
Spell
A compelling attraction; charm or fascination
The spell of the theater.
Relieve
(transitive) To ease (someone, a part of the body etc.) or give relief from physical pain or discomfort.
Spell
A short, indefinite period of time.
Relieve
(transitive) To alleviate (pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.).
Spell
(Informal) A period of weather of a particular kind
A dry spell.
Relieve
(transitive) To provide comfort or assistance to (someone in need, especially in poverty).
Spell
One's turn at work.
Relieve
(obsolete) To lift up; to raise again.
Spell
A period of work; a shift.
Relieve
To raise (someone) out of danger or from (a specified difficulty etc.).
Spell
(Australian) A period of rest.
Relieve
(legal) To free (someone) from debt or legal obligations; to give legal relief to.
This shall not relieve either Party of any obligations.
Spell
(Informal) A period of physical or mental disorder or distress
A dizzy spell.
Relieve
(transitive) To bring military help to (a besieged town); to lift the siege on.
Spell
(Informal) A short distance.
Relieve
To release (someone) from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.
Spell
Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers.
He cast a spell to cure warts.
Relieve
To free (someone) from their post, task etc. by taking their place.
Spell
A magical effect or influence induced by an incantation or formula.
Under a spell
Relieve
To make (something) stand out; to make prominent, bring into relief.
Spell
(obsolete) Speech, discourse.
Relieve
To urinate or defecate.
Spell
A shift (of work); (rare) a set of workers responsible for a specific turn of labour.
Relieve
To ease one's own desire to orgasm, often through masturbation to orgasm.
Spell
(informal) A definite period (of work or other activity).
Relieve
To lift up; to raise again, as one who has fallen; to cause to rise.
Spell
(colloquial) An indefinite period of time (usually with a qualifier); by extension, a relatively short distance.
Relieve
To cause to seem to rise; to put in relief; to give prominence or conspicuousness to; to set off by contrast.
Her tall figure relieved against the blue sky; seemed almost of supernatural height.
Spell
A period of rest; time off.
Relieve
To raise up something in; to introduce a contrast or variety into; to remove the monotony or sameness of.
The poet must . . . sometimes relieve the subject with a moral reflection.
Spell
A period of illness, or sudden interval of bad spirits, disease etc.
Relieve
To raise or remove, as anything which depresses, weighs down, or crushes; to render less burdensome or afflicting; to alleviate; to abate; to mitigate; to lessen; as, to relieve pain; to relieve the wants of the poor.
Spell
(cricket) An uninterrupted series of alternate overs bowled by a single bowler.
Relieve
To free, wholly or partly, from any burden, trial, evil, distress, or the like; to give ease, comfort, or consolation to; to give aid, help, or succor to; to support, strengthen, or deliver; as, to relieve a besieged town.
Now lend assistance and relieve the poor.
Spell
(dialectal) A splinter, usually of wood; a spelk.
Relieve
To release from a post, station, or duty; to put another in place of, or to take the place of, in the bearing of any burden, or discharge of any duty.
Who hath relieved you?
Spell
The wooden bat in the game of trap ball, or knurr and spell.
Relieve
To ease of any imposition, burden, wrong, or oppression, by judicial or legislative interposition, as by the removal of a grievance, by indemnification for losses, or the like; to right.
Spell
To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm.
Relieve
Provide physical relief, as from pain;
This pill will relieve your headaches
Spell
To read (something) as though letter by letter; to peruse slowly or with effort.
Relieve
Free someone temporarily from his or her obligations
Spell
To write or say the letters that form a word or part of a word.
Relieve
Grant relief or an exemption from a rule or requirement to;
She exempted me from the exam
Spell
(intransitive) To be able to write or say the letters that form words.
I find it difficult to spell because I'm dyslexic.
Relieve
Lessen the intensity of or calm;
The news eased my conscience
Still the fears
Spell
(transitive) Of letters: to compose (a word).
The letters “a”, “n” and “d” spell “and”.
Relieve
Save from ruin, destruction, or harm
Spell
To clarify; to explain in detail.
Please spell it out for me.
Relieve
Relieve oneself of troubling information
Spell
(transitive) To indicate that (some event) will occur.
This spells trouble.
Relieve
Alleviate or remove;
Relieve the pressure and the stress
Spell
To constitute; to measure.
Relieve
Provide relief for;
Remedy his illness
Spell
(obsolete) To speak, to declaim.
Relieve
Free from a burden, evil, or distress
Spell
(obsolete) To tell; to relate; to teach.
Relieve
Take by stealing;
The thief relieved me of $100
Spell
(transitive) To work in place of (someone).
To spell the helmsman
Relieve
Grant exemption or release to;
Please excuse me from this class
Spell
(transitive) To rest (someone or something), to give someone or something a rest or break.
They spelled the horses and rested in the shade of some trees near a brook.
Relieve
To reduce or alleviate pain, stress, or burden.
Medication can relieve the symptoms of the flu.
Spell
To rest from work for a time.
Spell
A spelk, or splinter.
Spell
The relief of one person by another in any piece of work or watching; also, a turn at work which is carried on by one person or gang relieving another; as, a spell at the pumps; a spell at the masthead.
A spell at the wheel is called a trick.
Spell
The time during which one person or gang works until relieved; hence, any relatively short period of time, whether a few hours, days, or weeks.
Nothing new has happened in this quarter, except the setting in of a severe spell of cold weather.
Spell
One of two or more persons or gangs who work by spells.
Their toil is so extreme that they can not endure it above four hours in a day, but are succeeded by spells.
Spell
A gratuitous helping forward of another's work; as, a logging spell.
Spell
A story; a tale.
Spell
A stanza, verse, or phrase supposed to be endowed with magical power; an incantation; hence, any charm.
Start not; her actions shall be holy asYou hear my spell is lawful.
Spell
To supply the place of for a time; to take the turn of, at work; to relieve; as, to spell the helmsman.
Spell
To tell; to relate; to teach.
Might I that legend find,By fairies spelt in mystic rhymes.
Spell
To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm.
He was much spelled with Eleanor Talbot.
Spell
To constitute; to measure.
The Saxon heptarchy, when seven kings put together did spell but one in effect.
Spell
To tell or name in their proper order letters of, as a word; to write or print in order the letters of, esp. the proper letters; to form, as words, by correct orthography.
The word "satire" ought to be spelled with i, and not with y.
Spell
To discover by characters or marks; to read with difficulty; - usually with out; as, to spell out the sense of an author; to spell out a verse in the Bible.
To spell out a God in the works of creation.
To sit spelling and observing divine justice upon every accident.
Spell
To form words with letters, esp. with the proper letters, either orally or in writing.
When what small knowledge was, in them did dwell,And he a god, who could but read or spell.
Spell
To study by noting characters; to gain knowledge or learn the meaning of anything, by study.
Where I may sit and rightly spellOf every star that heaven doth shew,And every herb that sips the dew.
Spell
A psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation
Spell
A time for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else);
It's my go
A spell of work
Spell
A period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition;
He was here for a little while
I need to rest for a piece
A spell of good weather
A patch of bad weather
Spell
A verbal formula believed to have magical force;
He whispered a spell as he moved his hands
Inscribed around its base is a charm in Balinese
Spell
Recite the letters of or give the spelling of;
How do you spell this word?
Spell
Indicate or signify;
I'm afraid this spells trouble!
Spell
Write or name the letters that comprise the conventionally accepted form of (a word or part of a word);
He spelled the word wrong in this letter
Spell
Place under a spell
Spell
To act as a reliever in a professional setting.
He spells as a courier when regular staff are unavailable.
Spell
To serve in place of another, especially in work contexts.
She spelled her colleague during the busy season.
Common Curiosities
What does it mean to spell someone?
To spell someone means to temporarily take over their duties or role.
Is "spell" commonly used outside of work contexts?
While less common, "spell" can be used in any context where temporary replacement is needed, but it is most frequently used regarding work or continuous tasks.
What does it mean to relieve someone?
To relieve someone means to ease their pain, burden, or responsibility.
What are typical scenarios for using "relieve"?
Typical scenarios include medical treatment, reducing stress, or removing someone from a difficult situation.
Is "relieve" a physical or psychological action?
"Relieve" can be both, as it encompasses actions that reduce physical pain as well as emotional or psychological stress.
Can "relieve" and "spell" be used interchangeably?
No, "relieve" is used in the context of alleviating discomfort, while "spell" specifically refers to temporary substitution in duties.
What kind of break does "spell" imply?
"Spell" implies a short, temporary break, often just long enough to allow the primary person to rest or attend to personal needs.
Can "spell" be used in emergency situations?
Yes, "spell" can be used when someone needs to urgently replace another person in an emergency or when immediate relief is needed.
How do you use "relieve" in a sentence?
"She took an aspirin to relieve her headache."
Can "relieve" be associated with positive emotions?
Yes, relieving someone often results in positive emotions, such as relief and gratitude.
What are the emotional implications of "relieve"?
"Relieve" often carries emotional implications of comfort and easing of stress or anxiety.
Who can perform the action of spelling someone?
Anyone who is capable and available to temporarily take over someone else’s duties can perform the action of spelling someone.
How do you use "spell" in a sentence?
"I need someone to spell me at the desk while I attend the meeting."
What are the professional implications of "spell"?
Professionally, "spell" involves substituting for someone, often in a work setting to ensure continuous operation.
Does "spell" always imply a complete substitution?
Yes, "spell" typically means a complete but temporary substitution, allowing the primary person a full break from duties.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
