Swollow vs. Swallow — Which is Correct Spelling?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on March 21, 2024
"Swollow" is an incorrect spelling, while "Swallow" is correct. Swallow refers to both the action of passing food down the throat and a type of bird.
Table of Contents
Which is correct: Swollow or Swallow
How to spell Swallow?
Swollow
Incorrect Spelling
Swallow
Correct Spelling
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Key Differences
Think of the word "wall" within "Swallow," but with only one 'l.'
You "allow" yourself to swallow food, hence the '-allow' in "Swallow."
"Swollow" looks overcrowded; "Swallow" is just right.
"Swallow" has one 'l' and two 'a's, unlike "Swollow."
Remember, birds "allow" you to see them fly, so it's "sw-allow."
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How Do You Spell Swallow Correctly?
Incorrect: The medicine is easier to swollow if you take it with water.
Correct: The medicine is easier to swallow if you take it with water.
Incorrect: It's not safe to swollow gum, according to old wives' tales.
Correct: It's not safe to swallow gum, according to old wives' tales.
Incorrect: She tried to swollow her pride and apologize for her mistake.
Correct: She tried to swallow her pride and apologize for her mistake.
Swallow Definitions
A fast-flying insectivorous bird with a streamlined design.
The swallow swiftly darted through the sky.
To accept or tolerate a situation.
She had to swallow her pride and apologize.
To cause or allow something, especially food or drink, to go down the throat.
He took a sip of water and swallowed it.
The act of consuming or accepting something.
She took a deep swallow of her drink.
To take in or consume something in large amounts.
The sea seemed to swallow the sun at sunset.
As much as is, or can be, swallowed at once; as, a swallow of water.
The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae, are a family of passerine birds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance.
To cause (food or drink, for example) to pass through the mouth and throat into the stomach.
To put up with (something unpleasant)
Swallowed the insults and kept on working.
To refrain from expressing; suppress
Swallow one's feelings.
To envelop or engulf
A building that was swallowed up by fire.
To consume or use up
Relief money that was swallowed by administrative costs.
(Slang) To believe without question
Swallowed the alibi.
To take back; retract
Swallow one's words.
To say inarticulately; mumble
The actor swallowed his lines.
To perform the act of swallowing.
The act of swallowing.
An amount swallowed.
(Nautical) The channel through which a rope runs in a block or a mooring chock.
Any of various small graceful swift-flying passerine birds of the family Hirundinidae, having long pointed wings, a usually notched or forked tail, and a large mouth for catching flying insects.
Any of various similar birds, such as a swift.
(transitive) To cause (food, drink etc.) to pass from the mouth into the stomach; to take into the stomach through the throat.
(transitive) To take (something) in so that it disappears; to consume, absorb.
(intransitive) To take food down into the stomach; to make the muscular contractions of the oesophagus to achieve this, often taken as a sign of nervousness or strong emotion.
My throat was so sore that I was unable to swallow.
(transitive) To accept easily or without questions; to believe, accept.
(intransitive) To engross; to appropriate; usually with up.
(transitive) To retract; to recant.
To swallow one's opinions
(transitive) To put up with; to bear patiently or without retaliation.
To swallow an affront or insult
(archaic) A deep chasm or abyss in the earth.
(archaic) The mouth and throat; that which is used for swallowing; the gullet.
The amount swallowed in one gulp; the act of swallowing.
He took the aspirin with a single swallow of water.
(nautical) The opening in a pulley block between the sheave and shell through which the rope passes.
(Nigeria) Any of various carbohydrate-based dishes that are swallowed without much chewing.
A small, migratory bird of the Hirundinidae family with long, pointed, moon-shaped wings and a forked tail which feeds on the wing by catching insects.
Any one of numerous species of passerine birds of the family Hirundinidæ, especially one of those species in which the tail is deeply forked. They have long, pointed wings, and are noted for the swiftness and gracefulness of their flight.
Any one of numerous species of swifts which resemble the true swallows in form and habits, as the common American chimney swallow, or swift.
The aperture in a block through which the rope reeves.
The gullet, or esophagus; the throat.
Taste; relish; inclination; liking.
I have no swallow for it.
Capacity for swallowing; voracity.
There being nothing too gross for the swallow of political rancor.
That which ingulfs; a whirlpool.
To take into the stomach; to receive through the gullet, or esophagus, into the stomach; as, to swallow food or drink.
As if I had swallowed snowballs for pills.
To draw into an abyss or gulf; to ingulf; to absorb - usually followed by up.
The earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses.
To receive or embrace, as opinions or belief, without examination or scruple; to receive implicitly.
Though that story . . . be not so readily swallowed.
To engross; to appropriate; - usually with up.
Homer excels . . . in this, that he swallowed up the honor of those who succeeded him.
To occupy; to take up; to employ.
The necessary provision of the life swallows the greatest part of their time.
To seize and waste; to exhaust; to consume.
Corruption swallowed what the liberal handOf bounty scattered.
To retract; to recant; as, to swallow one's opinions.
To put up with; to bear patiently or without retaliation; as, to swallow an affront or insult.
To perform the act of swallowing; as, his cold is so severe he is unable to swallow.
A small amount of liquid food;
A sup of ale
The act of swallowing;
One swallow of the liquid was enough
He took a drink of his beer and smacked his lips
Small long-winged songbird noted for swift graceful flight and the regularity of its migrations
Pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking;
Swallow the raw fish--it won't kill you!
Engulf and destroy;
The Nazis swallowed the Baltic countries
Enclose or envelop completely, as if by swallowing;
The huge waves swallowed the small boat and it sank shortly thereafter
Utter indistinctly;
She swallowed the last words of her speech
Take back what one has said;
He swallowed his words
Keep from expressing;
I swallowed my anger and kept quiet
Tolerate or accommodate oneself to;
I shall have to accept these unpleasant working conditions
I swallowed the insult
She has learned to live with her husband's little idiosyncracies
Believe or accept without questioning or challenge;
Am I supposed to swallow that story?
Swallow Meaning in a Sentence
Swallow the pill whole; do not chew it.
A swallow flew over the lake, skimming the water for insects.
To swallow one's pride is often necessary to make amends.
The river will eventually swallow the small stream.
He had to swallow his anger and respond calmly.
She couldn't swallow the excuse he offered.
The team had to swallow a bitter defeat.
The young bird struggled to swallow the large piece of food.
The whale can swallow thousands of gallons of water in a single gulp.
The ocean seemed ready to swallow the tiny boat.
To swallow a secret is to keep it hidden from everyone.
Cats sometimes swallow their toys by accident.
They watched the sunset, as night seemed to swallow the day.
The audience gasped as he prepared to swallow fire.
Swallow your fears and take the leap.
It's hard to swallow the fact that summer is over.
He took a deep breath and prepared to swallow the oyster.
It's a myth that humans swallow spiders in their sleep.
It was a hard pill to swallow when she learned the truth.
The cave looked like a dark mouth ready to swallow them whole.
Swallow Idioms & Phrases
Swallow one's words
To take back what one has said, often reluctantly.
After the evidence was presented, he had to swallow his words.
Swallow up
To engulf or envelop completely.
The fog was so thick it seemed to swallow up the entire town.
A bitter pill to swallow
An unpleasant fact or situation that one must accept.
Losing the championship was a bitter pill to swallow for the team.
Swallow one's anger
To suppress or hold back one's anger.
Despite the provocation, he swallowed his anger and remained calm.
Swallow one's fear
To overcome or suppress one's fear.
Before the performance, she had to swallow her fear and go on stage.
Swallow one's pride
To set aside one's ego or personal reservations to do something that one finds demeaning.
She had to swallow her pride and ask for her job back.
Swallow the hook
To be completely deceived or fooled.
He swallowed the hook, believing the deal was legitimate.
Swallow one's laughter
To try to suppress laughter.
He had to swallow his laughter during the serious meeting.
Swallow one's disappointment
To accept disappointment without letting it show.
Even though she didn't win, she swallowed her disappointment and congratulated the winner.
Hard to swallow
Difficult to believe or accept.
The news of his sudden departure was hard to swallow.
To swallow a secret
To keep a secret unrevealed.
He knew he must swallow the secret to protect his friend.
Swallow one's doubt
To suppress or ignore one's doubts.
To support her friend's decision, she swallowed her doubt.
Swallow the moon
To attempt or desire something impossible or grandiose.
With his ambitious plans, he seemed to want to swallow the moon.
Swallow the bait
To accept something, often deceitfully offered, leading to one's detriment.
She swallowed the bait, thinking the offer was in good faith.
Swallow one's guilt
To bear guilt without confessing or revealing it.
After the mistake, he had to swallow his guilt and continue working.
Swallow one's excitement
To try not to show excitement.
Knowing the surprise party was about to start, she swallowed her excitement as her friend walked in.
Easier to swallow
More palatable or acceptable.
The revised proposal was easier to swallow.
Swallow one's sorrow
To keep oneself from expressing sadness.
He swallowed his sorrow and put on a brave face for his family.
Swallow one's curiosity
To refrain from asking questions or seeking information.
Though she was dying to know, she swallowed her curiosity and didn't pry.
Common Curiosities
What is the verb form of Swallow?
Swallow.
What is the root word of Swallow?
The root word is the Old English "swelgan."
What is the pronunciation of Swallow?
/'swɑː.loʊ/
What is the singular form of Swallow?
Swallow.
Which preposition is used with Swallow?
The preposition "of" can be used, as in "a swallow of water."
Is Swallow a negative or positive word?
Neutral.
Why is it called Swallow?
Swallow derives from Old English "swelgan," meaning to consume. The bird's name might originate from its swift and smooth flight, resembling the action of swallowing.
Which vowel is used before Swallow?
The vowel "o" can be used before swallow as in "to swallow."
What is the plural form of Swallow?
Swallows.
Is Swallow an adverb?
No.
Is Swallow a collective noun?
No.
Is the word Swallow is imperative?
It can be, as in "Swallow your food!"
How do we divide Swallow into syllables?
Swal-low.
What is another term for Swallow?
Consume or ingest for the verb; for the bird, there's no direct synonym.
Which determiner is used with Swallow?
Determiners such as "a," "the," "my," or "that" can be used with "swallow."
Which conjunction is used with Swallow?
Swallow doesn't have a specific conjunction associated with it; it can be used with any conjunction depending on the sentence.
Which article is used with Swallow?
Either "a" or "the" can be used with "swallow," depending on the context.
Is Swallow an abstract noun?
No.
Is Swallow a vowel or consonant?
Swallow is a word, not a single letter. It contains both vowels and consonants.
Is the word “Swallow” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
It can be a direct object, as in "He took a swallow."
How many syllables are in Swallow?
Two.
What is the opposite of Swallow?
Spit or regurgitate.
What is the second form of Swallow?
Swallowed.
What is the third form of Swallow?
Swallowed.
How is Swallow used in a sentence?
"He watched the swallows fly across the sky as he took a big swallow of his drink."
Is Swallow a noun or adjective?
Swallow can be both a noun (referring to the bird or the action of consuming) and a verb (the act of consuming).
Is Swallow a countable noun?
Yes, especially when referring to the bird.
Is the word Swallow is Gerund?
No, but "swallowing" is the gerund form.
Is the Swallow term a metaphor?
It can be used metaphorically, such as "to swallow one's pride."
What is a stressed syllable in Swallow?
The first syllable, "swal," is stressed.
What part of speech is Swallow?
Swallow can be a noun or a verb.
What is the first form of Swallow?
Swallow.
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Written 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.
