cupful

/ˈkʌp̪fl̩/

//ˈkʌp̪fl̩// noun

"cupful" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cupful” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The amount necessary to fill a cup.

Key facts for cupful
PropertyValue
Headwordcupful
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkʌp̪fl̩/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cupful” sits in English frequency

cupful falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cupful is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkʌp̪fl̩/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

cupful has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English copful, copfull, cupfulle, cuppefulle, equivalent to cup + -ful. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Kopful (“cupful”), West Frisian kopfol (“cupful”). The correct English form is cupful, spelled C-U-P-F-U-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    The amount necessary to fill a cup.
  2. 2
    A half pint, i.e. eight ounces

Etymology

From Middle English copful, copfull, cupfulle, cuppefulle, equivalent to cup + -ful. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Kopful (“cupful”), West Frisian kopfol (“cupful”).

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cupful"?
"cupful" is spelled C-U-P-F-U-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkʌp̪fl̩/.
What does "cupful" mean?
As a noun, "cupful" means: The amount necessary to fill a cup.
How do you pronounce "cupful"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cupful" is /ˈkʌp̪fl̩/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "cupful"?
From Middle English copful, copfull, cupfulle, cuppefulle, equivalent to cup + -ful. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Kopful (“cupful”), West Frisian kopfol (“cupful”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “cupful”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is C-U-P-F-U-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkʌp̪fl̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list