answersLogoWhite

0

No.

"Repel" is a verb that means to drive away, to discourage, to resist, to fight against. Another word form is "repellent," an adjective used to describe something distasteful that you would wish to resist.

"Rappel" is a verb that very specifically refers to descending down a steep incline or cliff face by sliding down a rope that is wound around the body in a special way (under one thigh, over opposite shoulder, etc.) In fact, the far more commonly used form of the word is "rappelling" -- as in "We're going rappelling in the mountains today."

You're already clear on the fact that Repel and Rappel are also spelled differently -- that's because they come from completely different root words from two different languages.

But I've seen "rappelling" spelled as "repelling" -- even from so-called professional journalists -- so I'd guess that's where at least some of the confusion has started.

User Avatar

Wiki User

15y ago

What else can I help you with?