# spasm vs spate

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### spasm
*noun · IPA /ˈspæz.m̩/ · frequency rank #35,950*
A sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle, a group of muscles, or a hollow organ.

### spate
*noun · IPA /speɪt/ · frequency rank #37,701*
A (sudden) flood or inundation of water; specifically, a flood in or overflow of a river or other watercourse due to heavy rain or melting snow; (uncountable, archaic) flooding, inundation.

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