A role is a part, responsibility, or function. Roll can mean to turn over or wind up, and a roll can be a list of names. An actor plays a role. A teacher calls the roll to check attendance.
Playing a role, rolling a poster, and calling the roll
- “She played the role of the principal in the school play.” A role can also be a responsibility, as in the editor’s role on the team.
- “Roll the poster before putting it in the tube.” The verb describes how to shape the poster. As a noun, a roll can name something wound up, such as a roll of tape.
- “The teacher called the roll before the field trip.” Here the roll is the attendance list. Roll also refers to a small loaf of bread or to the action of rolling, as in a roll of the dice.
Use roll call for attendance
Write roll call when someone reads names from a list to check who is present. Use role when you name the part someone plays.
Try it
“The teacher called the ___ before handing out each actor’s ___ in the play.”
Show the answer
Use roll for the attendance list and role for the part each actor plays.
For more sound-alike pairs, see the guide to confusing words.
