Welcome, fellow witches and wizards, to a magical journey through the spells of the Harry Potter universe. The spells we’ve grown to love are more than just incantations; they’re a core part of the magic, with many of their names rooted in Latin.
This guide will provide a detailed look at the different types of magical incantations and offer an extensive list of spells from each category, giving you everything you need to know about the magic of the wizarding world.
Spells vs Charm vs Hex vs Jinx vs Curse
In the Harry Potter universe, the word spell is a broad term that covers all magical incantations.
Within that category, specific types of spells are classified based on their intent and effect—charms, hexes, jinxes, and curses. Understanding these distinctions helps clarify how magic functions in the wizarding world and why certain spells are considered harmless while others are dark or dangerous.
- Spell: A general term for any magical action or effect (e.g., Wingardium Leviosa)
- Charm: A spell that adds or changes the properties of an object or person, without fundamentally changing what it is (e.g., Accio)
- Hex: A type of dark charm that has a negative, but not severe, effect (e.g., Densaugeo)
- Jinx: Similar to a hex, but its effects are minor and often temporary (e.g., Rictusempra)
- Curse: A powerful type of dark magic intended to cause serious harm, pain, or even death (e.g., Crucio)
How Many Spells Are in Harry Potter?
There are around 200 named spells, charms, jinxes, hexes, and curses mentioned in the Harry Potter books, films, and supplemental materials.
All Harry Potter List of Spells
- Accio: Summons an object to the caster.
- Aguamenti: Creates a jet of water from the caster’s wand.
- Alohomora: Unlocks and opens doors.
- Anapneo: Clears a person’s airway if they are choking.
- Aparecium: Reveals invisible ink.
- Apparate: A spell that allows a witch or wizard to instantly teleport from one place to another.
- Ascendio: Lifts the caster into the air, often out of water.
- Avada Kedavra: The Killing Curse, one of the three Unforgivable Curses, which causes instant death.
- Avis: Creates a flock of small birds from the caster’s wand.
- Bombarda: Creates a small explosion.
- Bombarda Maxima: Creates a large, powerful explosion.
- Brackium Emendo: Heals broken bones, though Gilderoy Lockhart famously botched this spell on Harry.
- Capacious Extremis: A space-expanding charm used on bags and objects.
- Carpe Retractum: A spell that shoots a rope from the caster’s wand, used for pulling or swinging.
- Cave Inimicum: A protective spell that warns of approaching enemies.
- Colloportus: Magically locks a door.
- Confringo: A blasting curse that causes the target to explode.
- Confundo: Causes the target to become confused.
- Conjunctivitis Curse: Affects the target’s eyes, impairing their vision.
- Crucio: The Cruciatus Curse, one of the three Unforgivable Curses, which inflicts excruciating pain.
- Defodio: A gouging spell that can carve or dig through objects.
- Deletrius: Erases the image of a prior spell cast by a wand.
- Densaugeo: Causes the target’s front teeth to grow at an alarming rate.
- Deprimo: A spell that places immense pressure on a target, causing it to collapse or explode.
- Descendo: Causes a target to move downwards.
- Diffindo: The Severing Charm, used to precisely cut an object.
- Diminuendo: Shrinks the target.
- Disapparate: The opposite of Apparate, allowing a witch or wizard to vanish from a location.
- Dissendium: Reveals secret passages, particularly the one behind the statue of the one-eyed witch.
- Duro: Turns an object to stone.
- Ebublio: Causes a target to become trapped in a large bubble.
- Engorgio: Causes the target to swell and grow in size.
- Episkey: Heals minor injuries.
- Erecto: Erects a structure, like a tent.
- Evanesco: Causes a target to vanish.
- Expecto Patronum: The Patronus Charm, which conjures a spirit guardian to protect against Dementors.
- Expelliarmus: The Disarming Charm, which forces an opponent’s wand from their hand.
- Fera Verto: The transfiguration spell used by Professor McGonagall to turn animals into water goblets.
- Ferula: Creates a sling or bandage for a broken bone.
- Fianto Duri: A protective charm that strengthens a shield.
- Fidelius Charm: A complex charm that hides a secret within a person’s soul, making it impossible for others to find.
- Finite Incantatem: A general counter-spell that stops other spells.
- Flagrate: Creates a fiery mark in the air, often used to write.
- Flipendo: A knock-back jinx that pushes a target away.
- Furnunculus: Causes boils to erupt on a target’s face.
- Geminio: Creates a duplicate of an object.
- Glisseo: Turns a staircase into a smooth slide.
- Homenum Revelio: Reveals the presence of humans nearby.
- Impedimenta: The Impediment Jinx, which slows down or freezes a target.
- Imperio: The Imperius Curse, one of the three Unforgivable Curses, which places the target under the caster’s complete control.
- Imperturbable Charm: Creates a magical barrier that prevents sound and objects from passing through.
- Incendio: Creates fire.
- Jelly-Legs Jinx: Causes the target’s legs to buckle and wobble like jelly.
- Langlock: Sticks the target’s tongue to the roof of their mouth, preventing them from speaking.
- Legilimens: Allows the caster to delve into the target’s mind and see their memories and emotions.
- Levicorpus: Hoists a person up into the air by their ankle.
- Liberacorpus: The counter-spell to Levicorpus.
- Locomotor Mortis: The Leg-Locker Curse, which locks a target’s legs together.
- Lumos: Illuminates the tip of the caster’s wand.
- Morsmordre: Conjures the Dark Mark, the symbol of Lord Voldemort.
- Muffliato: Fills the ears of anyone nearby with an unidentifiable buzzing sound, allowing for private conversation.
- Nox: The counter-spell to Lumos, extinguishing the light from a wand.
- Obliviate: The Memory Charm, which erases or modifies a person’s memory.
- Oppugno: Causes an object to attack a target.
- Petrificus Totalus: The Full Body-Bind Curse, which temporarily freezes a person’s body.
- Piertotum Locomotor: Animates statues and armor to fight for the caster.
- Portus: Turns an object into a Portkey, a magical transport device.
- Prior Incantato: The reverse spell effect that forces a wand to reveal the last spell it cast.
- Protego: The Shield Charm, which deflects minor to medium-level curses and jinxes.
- Protego Horribilis: A powerful protective spell against Dark Magic.
- Protego Maxima: An advanced shield charm that creates a large, powerful defensive barrier.
- Reducio: Shrinks a target.
- Reducto: The Reductor Curse, which blasts solid objects into pieces.
- Relashio: Forces a person or object to release its grip.
- Reparo: Repairs broken objects.
- Rictusempra: The Tickling Charm, which causes a target to laugh uncontrollably.
- Riddikulus: A Boggart-banishing spell that forces the Boggart to take on a comical form.
- Scourgify: Cleans an object.
- Sectumsempra: A dark curse that inflicts deep, razor-like wounds on the target.
- Serpensortia: Conjures a snake from the caster’s wand.
- Silencio: The Silencing Charm, which renders a target unable to speak.
- Skurge: A spell used to clean up ectoplasm.
- Slugulus Eructo: The Slug-Vomiting Charm, which causes a person to vomit slugs.
- Sonorus: Amplifies the caster’s voice.
- Specialis Revelio: A spell that reveals any hidden magical properties of an object.
- Stupefy: The Stunning Spell, which renders a person unconscious.
- Tarantallegra: The Dancing Feet Spell, which forces a person’s legs to dance uncontrollably.
- Tergeo: Siphons off liquid or dirt.
- Unbreakable Vow: A form of magical contract where if the wizard or witch breaks it, they die.
- Waddiwasi: Unsticks a wad of gum.
- Wingardium Leviosa: The Levitation Charm, which causes an object to float.
Harry Potter Charms
- Accio: Summons an object to the caster.
- Alohomora: Unlocks and opens doors.
- Episkey: Heals minor injuries.
- Expecto Patronum: Conjures a spirit guardian to protect against Dementors.
- Expelliarmus: Forces an opponent’s wand from their hand.
- Incendio: Creates fire.
- Lumos: Illuminates the tip of the caster’s wand.
- Protego: Deflects minor to medium-level curses and jinxes.
- Wingardium Leviosa: Causes an object to float.
Harry Potter Hexes
- Densaugeo: Causes the target’s front teeth to grow at an alarming rate.
- Furnunculus: Causes boils to erupt on a target’s face.
- Langlock: Sticks the target’s tongue to the roof of their mouth, preventing them from speaking.
- Locomotor Mortis: The Leg-Locker Curse, which locks a target’s legs together.
Harry Potter Jinxes
- Flipendo: A knock-back jinx that pushes a target away.
- Impedimenta: The Impediment Jinx, which slows down or freezes a target.
- Jelly-Legs Jinx: Causes the target’s legs to buckle and wobble like jelly.
- Rictusempra: The Tickling Charm, which causes a target to laugh uncontrollably.
- Tarantallegra: The Dancing Feet Spell, which forces a person’s legs to dance uncontrollably.
Harry Potter Curses
- Avada Kedavra: The Killing Curse, which causes instant death.
- Confringo: A blasting curse that causes the target to explode.
- Crucio: The Cruciatus Curse, which inflicts excruciating pain.
- Imperio: The Imperius Curse, which places the target under the caster’s complete control.
- Reducto: The Reductor Curse, which blasts solid objects into pieces.
- Sectumsempra: A dark curse that inflicts deep, razor-like wounds on the target.
Facts About the Spells From Harry Potter
- The spell name Lumos comes from the Latin word for light, and Nox is the Latin word for night.
- The charm Wingardium Leviosa is a combination of English and Latin roots. Wing is from English, ardium is a phonetic twist on the Latin arduus for high or steep, and leviosa is from the Latin levo, meaning to raise.
- Expecto Patronum is a Latin phrase that translates to I await a guardian.
- Accio comes from the Latin word meaning to summon or fetch.
- Expelliarmus combines the Latin words expello, meaning to drive out or expel, and arma, meaning a weapon.
- The Unforgivable Curses are all Latin. Avada Kedavra is an Aramaic phrase meaning let the thing be destroyed. Crucio is Latin for I torture. Imperio is Latin for I command.