The Ultimate Guide To Spell Terminologies (Harry Potter)

In the essay collection Harry Potter and History, an essay titled “Severus Snape and the Standard Book of Spells: Ancient Tongues in the Wizarding World” by M. G. DuPree that points out something you might have missed between your swishes and flicks:

When considering the casting of Spells, it is important to note that the intent behind the spell,  regardless whether it is a charm, jinx, hex, or curse – plays a significant role in the colour of the light emitted from the wand. Pure intentions, such as casting a Patronus will emit white light whereas stunning spells such as Stupefy emit red and dark magic is a sickly bright shade of green. 

Whilst there are commonalities such as all ‘Dark Magic’ being cast only emitting green light, the general rule of thumb is that the intention behind the spell itself contributes to the light emitted from the wand

The Terminology of spells in Harry Potter

TypeDefinition
SpellWords uttered in a set formula with magical intent. The correct recitation, often with accompanying gestures, is considered to unleash supernatural power.
CharmsA practise or expression believed to have magic power, similar to an incantation or a spell. Charms are among the earliest examples of written literature.
Among the charms written in Old English are those against a dwarf and against the theft of cattle. The word is from the Old French charme and the Latin carmen, “ritual utterance,” “incantation,” or “song.”
JinxesCarry a connotation of dark magic, though of a very minor sort.
Jinxes, like Rictusempra, irritate and amuse, rather than harm.
HexesCarry the connotation of dark magic, again of a minor nature, but slightly darker than Jinxes.
An example would be Petrificus Totalus.
CursesThese are spells that are quite firmly embedded in Dark Magic and are
purely harmful in effect, nature, and intent.

Incantations or spoken portions, wand motions, and a mental component involving visualisation of the desired effect appear to be the three components of a spell. 

There appears to be 3 main components of a spell:

  • Incantations or spoken portions
  • Wand motions
  • A mental component involving visualisation of the desired effect

According to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the incantation can be subvocalised rather than spoken, and we see some spells in which only one or two of the three components are needed. 

This is why some wizards are able to use spells without saying them.

Our observations indicate that most incantations are pronounced with Latin character sounds in those cases when an incantation is required; this, with other contexts, indicates strongly that most incantations are to be pronounced with Latin character sounds. 

In particular, the “i” is generally, though not always, pronounced as a long “e”, and the “o” is the long form of that vowel, while the “a” and “e” are generally the short forms of those vowels. 

Among the exceptions are “Wingardium Leviosa” and “Rictusempra“, where the first “i” seems to be best pronounced as the short English “i”. “U” generally takes the long form when it is on its own, but the short form in the “ium” and “us” word endings.  

Let’s go through how each of these terms are unique to one another:

#1 Spells

Source: Collider

Throughout history, people have explored the idea of a flowing life force. Chinese medicine refers to it as qi, Hindu philosophy refers to it as prana, and ancient Egyptian religion refers to it as ka. E

xistence can be described as a powerful current that animates all natural phenomena.

In spell work, as in all divination practices, the belief exists that each individual reflects the universe as a whole – the microcosm is the macrocosm. Casting spells is fundamentally about identifying, raising, and directing your energy.

Examples of Spells include Expelliarmus and Expecto Patronum.

  • Expelliarmus: By forcing another wizard or witch’s wand from their hand, the Disarming Charm enables the user to disarm them. When the spell is powerful enough, an opponent could be knocked off their feet and sent flying. After Snape demonstrated this charm during the Chamber of Secrets, it has become Harry’s signature spell and you can find out why here.
  • Expecto Patronum: In order to defend against a Dementor, a Patronus Charm is conjured, which at its strongest conjures a spirit-like entity that represents the caster’s innermost self and deepest feelings. In order to perform the spell, the user must draw strength from their happiest memories. This advanced spell was a major plot thread in Harry and the Prisoner of Azkaban. By casting the charm, he was able to demonstrate early on his prodigious magical talents. Furthermore, he taught his friends and fellow students how to cast it to prepare them for the dangers they would face in the future.

You can find out more about why a Patronus is so hard to cast here.

#2 Charms

Source: Buzzfeed

A charm, also known as an enchantment, was a spell that added certain properties to an object or individual. Charms were distinguished from transfiguration spells in that a charm added or changed properties of an object; it focused on altering what the object did as opposed to what the object was. 

An object that had a lasting charm placed on it was called bewitched, though charms, in general, appear to last longer than other spells.

Examples of Charms include Levitation Charm and Memory Charm.

  • Levitation Charm: The Levitation Charm (Wingardium Leviosa) was a charm used to make objects fly or levitate. There were a number of lesser variations of the Levitation Charm, such as: the Hover Charm, the Rocket Charm, and the Floating Charm, but the Levitation Charm remained the original.
  • Memory Charm: The Memory Charm (Obliviate), also known as the Forgetfulness Charm, was a charm that could be used to erase specific memories from an individual’s mind. It was different from the spell that created false memories. These spells were used routinely by the British Ministry of Magic as they worked to keep the wizarding world a secret from Muggles.

#3 Jinxes

A jinx was a type of dark charm. The effects of a jinx were irritating but amusing. As a minor type of Dark Magic, jinxes had the least severe effects of the three dark charms. In order to successfully cast a jinx, the caster had to keep eye contact on the target. 

Jinxes could also be used in a defensive capacity. The effects of jinxes could be blocked or removed by a counter-jinx or a counter-curse, and they can be prevented by an anti-jinx

The former category was taught in Defence Against the Dark Arts class, while the latter was presumably part of several protective enchantments, and therefore mostly covered in Charms class.

Examples of Jinxes include Knockback Jinx and Impediment Jinx.

  • Knockback Jinx: This Jinx (Flipendo) was a jinx that knocked the target backwards. While prominently used for duelling, it could also be used to push heavy objects. As described by Professor Filius Flitwick, the Knockback Jinx (depending on the point of impact), “might feel like a blow to the chest, knocking back a victim or object, or might feel like being knocked over the head with a frying pan, leaving the victim a bit disoriented”.
  • Impediment Jinx: The Impediment Jinx (Impedimenta), also known as the Impediment Hex, was a jinx that hindered the movement of the target, slowing it down or stopping it in its tracks. It was a common spell used in duelling. The incantation “Impedimenta” is derived from the Latin word “impedimentum”, meaning “a hindrance”.

#4 Hexes

A hex was a type of dark charm, whose effects caused moderate suffering to the victim. As a moderate type of dark magic, hexes were slightly worse than jinxes, but were not as dark as curses. Hexes could be used in both a defensive and offensive capacity. 

The word “hex” may have been derived from Pennsylvania German hexe meaning “to practise witchcraft” or German hexen “to hex”, a meaning that the word still retains today when used as a verb.

Examples of Hexes include the Bedazzling Hex and Hurling Hex.

  • Bedazzling Hex: This was a hex which was used to disguise things, effectively making them invisible. It could be cast on a cloak to turn it into an invisibility cloak, though, like most invisibility cloaks, the effectiveness would wear off over time.
  • Hurling Hex: The Hurling Hex (incantation unknown) was a hex that could be applied to a broomstick, which would cause the broomstick to attempt to hurl its rider off. This jinx was used by Quirinus Quirrell on Harry Potter’s Nimbus 2000 in 1991, during a Quidditch match. This was an attempt to murder Harry for Lord Voldemort as a show of loyalty.

#5 Curse

Source: Spelol

A curse was a type of dark charm which was used for the worst kinds of Dark Magic. The most heinous of the three dark charms, curses came in many strengths and forms but were usually reserved for causing immense suffering to the victim, such as excruciating pain, total control, or even death. 

A curse was classified as a dark charm, which was primarily defined as any spell that affected the object in a negative manner, typically associated with varying levels of discomfort. 

This was the worst kind of dark magic, affecting the target in a severely negative manner.

While curses came in many strengths and forms, they were generally the most wicked, strongest, longest lasting, and least reversible of the Dark charms

The Unforgivable Curses were the strongest known Dark charms in existence, as their effects were very powerful, and their use required skill.

Examples of Curses include the Cruciatus Curse and Fiendfyre Curse.

  • Cruciatus Curse: The Cruciatus Curse (Crucio), also known as the Torture Curse, was a tool of the Dark Arts and one of the three Unforgivable Curses. When cast successfully on a fellow human being or living creature, the curse inflicted intense, excruciating physical pain on the victim, and would result in insanity if the victim was subjected to it for a prolonged time.
    The penalty for the use of this curse on another human being was a life sentence in Azkaban, unless there was sufficient enough evidence that the caster did so under the influence of the Imperius Curse.
  • Fiendfyre Curse: Fiendfyre was a curse that produced enchanted flames of immense size and heat that were capable of destroying nearly anything in its path, taking the form of gigantic fiery beasts such as serpents, Chimaeras, dragons, and birds of prey that seek out living targets. The curse was advanced dark magic, and it was one of the few known substances capable of destroying Horcruxes.

What’s the difference between a spell and a charm in Harry Potter?

The generic term for a piece of magic is a spell, and a charm considered a subset of a spell. A charm does not fundamentally alter the properties of the subject of the spell, but adds, or changes, properties. As such, a charm is a spell but all spells are not charms. 

For example, ‘oculus reparo!’ (the spell used to fix glasses) is a Mending Charm. You didn’t turn the glasses into eggs, you just fixed them up a bit. The same goes for a dancing teapot. If you make it dance, it is a charm. 

However,if you turned it into a pumpkin, it will then be a spell being cast with a particular outcome intended (and is then considered Transfiguration).

What’s the difference between a spell and a curse in Harry Potter?

Similar to the logic used for differentiating between spells and charms. A curse is an alteration of a spell with a specific intent, channelling dark magic. Curses are spells that are quite firmly rooted in Dark magic and are purely harmful in effect and intent.

Conclusion

“Within the Potter world, the boundaries are flexible, and I imagine that wizards may have their own ideas.” – J.K. Rowling on the difference between curses, hexes, and jinxes as quoted from the Rowling Libary.

This explains why some spells are known by multiple names, like why the Impediment Jinx is also sometimes known as the Impediment Hex. 

Context is everything here! 

According to Rowling, magic can be classified into academic disciplines. Throughout the magical disciplines, incantations and wand movements become increasingly difficult. 

Additionally, a wizard’s innate talent in a particular area affects his ability to perform advanced magic. 

Magical performance starts with the right mechanics: the incantation and wand movements must be precise. The final piece of the puzzle is a level of understanding of the magic. Putting one’s mind on the magic is the last element. It is evident from Rowling’s description of the three Ds during the training for Apparation.

There are two things that apply to all magic: deliberation and determination. When Bellatrix Lestrange taunts Harry about Unforgivable Curses (in the Order of the Phoenix), she gives another hint. Since Harry lacked the necessary sadism to watch another person writhe in agony, his Cruciatus Curse had little effect!


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Maariyah Bhari

For the love of written words, a cathartic release for me has always been writing. I have over 8 years of writing experience and two degrees in business.

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