Which to use
“split” is a verb and “spoilt” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,270
- “split” frequency rank
- #25,591
- “spoilt” frequency rank
- 27861
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | split | spoilt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To divide fully or partly along a more or less straight line. | Having lost its original value |
Where the eye mixes split and spoilt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: split vs spoilt
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: split is /splɪt/ while spoilt is /spɔɪlt/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27861, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
split is recorded at frequency rank #2,270, classified as averb, pronounced /splɪt/. spoilt is at rank #25,591, tagged as anadj, pronounced /spɔɪlt/.
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 27861, this pair ranks #375,525 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of split vs spoilt
Shared letters: ilpst. Private to "split": -. Private to "spoilt": o.
"split" · 5 letters · shape CCCVC · "spoilt" · 6 letters · shape CCVVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "split" and "spoilt" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "split" vs "spoilt" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "split" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "spoilt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #375,525 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "split" and "spoilt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "splint vs spoilt". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #375,525 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.