___-El (Superman’s birth name)

KAL

This three-letter name comes from Krypton and sounds like a word meaning "to call out" when spoken aloud.

This clue is asking for Superman’s original Kryptonian name, which is "Kal-El." The blank represents the first part of the name, so you only need the first three letters: "KAL." It’s a common crossword trick to split a well-known name or phrase like this, especially when the answer is short. Fans of Superman comics or movies would recognize it right away.