What is the Latin word for spell?

The usual Latin words for “spell” are carmen, cantiō, incantāmentum; also canticum, dēfīgō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“spell” in Latin

carmensong, tune; a composition in verse, a poem; poetry, verse, song; poem, poetry (strictly any poem or poetry that can be s cantiōsong, singing, playing; incantation, spell incantāmentumenchantment; spell, incantation canticumsong; passage in a comedy chanted or sung; sing-song voice dēfīgōto stick, thrust, or plunge (a weapon); to fix, plant or embed; to attach or fasten, affix

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

spell s.

carmen (Plin., Hor.): cantio (Cic.): cantus magicus (Col.): incantamentum (charm, incantation; Plin.): canticum (Apul.). To pronounce a spell, carmen incantare (Plin.): spell-bound, (figuratively) defixus (Tac.).

spell v.

ordinare syllabas litterarum (Prisc., to arrange the syllables and letters): litteras in syllabas colligere. To spell correctly (in writing), *recte ordinare syllabas litterarum: to know how to spell a word, *nosse quibus quaeque syllaba litteris constet.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for spell?: The usual Latin words for “spell” are carmen, cantiō, incantāmentum; also canticum, dēfīgō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.