Which to use
“spill” and “spoil” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,103
- “spill” frequency rank
- #9,543
- “spoil” frequency rank
- 18646
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | spill | spoil |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To drop something so that it spreads out or makes a mess; to accidentally pour. | To strip (someone who has been killed or defeated) of arms or armour. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set spill and spoil apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
spill and spoil form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 18646, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
spill is recorded at frequency rank #9,103, classified as averb, pronounced /spɪl/. spoil is at rank #9,543, tagged as averb, pronounced /spɔɪl/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 18646, this pair ranks #443,501 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "spill" and "spoil" be used interchangeably?
Remembering spill vs spoil
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “spill” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable