# shell vs spill

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### shell
*noun · IPA /ʃɛl/ · frequency rank #3,726*
A hard external covering of an animal.

### spill
*verb · IPA /spɪl/ · frequency rank #9,103*
To drop something so that it spreads out or makes a mess; to accidentally pour.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shell-vs-spill