Seep or sip?
seep is a verb meaning “To ooze or pass slowly through pores or other small openings, and in overly…”; sip is a noun meaning “A small mouthful of drink”. Use seep as a verb and sip as a noun (sip is also a verb: “To drink slowly, small mouthfuls at a time”). In written English (wordfreq, 2021 data) sip is about 7.6 times as common as seep.
What is the difference between seep and sip?
| seep | sip | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | verb, noun | noun, verb |
| Meaning | To ooze or pass slowly through pores or other small openings, and in overly small quantities; said of liquids, etc To enter or penetrate slowly; to spread or diffuse A small spring, pool, or other spot where liquid from the ground (e.g. water, petroleum or tar) has oozed to the surface; a place of seeping | A small mouthful of drink An event at which people drink alcohol in small, usually subintoxicating amounts To drink slowly, small mouthfuls at a time |
| Example | Water has seeped through the roof | Even when turned off, these devices can idly sip electricity from your outlet costing you money |
| Forms | seeps, seeping, seeped | sips |
| Pronunciation | /siːp/ | /sɪp/ |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words | 4.7 times per million words |
Sources: seep and sip in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of seep and sip
seep
- 1
To ooze or pass slowly through pores or other small openings, and in overly small quantities; said of liquids, etc
Water has seeped through the roof
- 2
A small spring, pool, or other spot where liquid from the ground (e.g. water, petroleum or tar) has oozed to the surface; a place of seeping
- 3
To enter or penetrate slowly; to spread or diffuse
Woe seeped through her heart thinking of what had befallen their ethnic group
- 4
Moisture, liquid, gas, etc. that seeps out; a seepage
- 5
To diminish or wane away slowly
The resistance movement against the invaders had slowly seeped away
- 6
The seeping away of a liquid, etc
- 7
(of a crack etc.) To allow a liquid to pass through, to leak
The crack is seeping water
- 8
A seafloor vent
sip
- 1
A small mouthful of drink
- 2
To drink slowly, small mouthfuls at a time
- 3
Acronym of single-issue publication
- 4
An event at which people drink alcohol in small, usually subintoxicating amounts
- 5
To drink a small quantity
- 6
Acronym of structural insulated panel
- 7
To taste the liquor of; to drink out of
- 8
ScotlandUSdatedAlternative form of seep
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, seep or sip?
seep appears about once in every 2 million words; sip 4.7 times per million words.
seep about once in every 2 million wordssip 4.7 times per million words
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).