Which to use
“spite” and “suite” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,741
- “spite” frequency rank
- #5,372
- “suite” frequency rank
- 12113
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | spite | suite |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ill will or hatred toward another, accompanied with the desire to unjustifiably irritate, annoy, or thwart; a want to disturb or put out another; mild malice | A group or train of attendants, servants etc.; a retinue. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set spite and suite apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
spite and suite form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - p in “spite” becomes u in “suite” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12113, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
spite is recorded at frequency rank #6,741, classified as anoun, pronounced /spaɪt/. suite is at rank #5,372, tagged as anoun, pronounced /swiːt/.
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 12113, this pair ranks #483,351 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "spite" and "suite" be used interchangeably?
Remembering spite vs suite
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 “spite” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable