# spade vs span

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### spade
*noun · IPA /speɪ̯d/ · frequency rank #18,960*
A garden tool with a handle and a flat blade for digging. Not to be confused with a shovel which is used for moving earth or other materials.

### span
*noun · IPA /spæn/ · frequency rank #6,416*
The full width of an open hand from the end of the thumb to the end of the little finger used as an informal unit of length.

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