# span vs spear

> 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.

### spear
*noun · IPA /spɪə̯(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #11,296*
A long stick with a sharp tip used as a weapon for throwing or thrusting, or anything used to make a thrusting motion.

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