# span vs spank

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### 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.

### spank
*verb · IPA /ˈspæŋk/ · frequency rank #26,258*
To beat, smack or slap a person's buttocks, with the bare hand or other object, as punishment, or for sexual gratification.

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