fill

Name: fill, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/fɪl/

//fɪl// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“fill” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,297 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#2,297
frequency rank, English: 4
letters: 3
tracked misspellings: 20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make full

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

fill vs FL

0% similar

fill vs fit

50% similar

fill vs fix

50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for fill
Property	Value
Headword	fill
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/fɪl/
Letters	4
Frequency rank	#2,297
Misspellings tracked	3
Confusable pairs	20
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fill” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). fill lands here:

#2,297

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for fill is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /fɪl/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,297 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 13 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 3 likely wrong-spelling variants for fill, with forms such as "ffill", "flil", and "ifll". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "FL", "fit", "fix", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English fillen, fullen, from Old English fyllan (“to fill, fill up, replenish, satisfy; complete, fulfill”), from Proto-West Germanic *fullijan, from Proto-Germanic *fullijaną (“to make full, fill”), from *fullaz (“full”), from Proto-Indo-Europe… The correct English form is fill, spelled F-I-L-L.

Definition

1
To make full
2
To make full
3
To make full
4
To become full.
5
To become full.
6
To satisfy or obey (an order, request, or requirement).
7
To install someone, or be installed, in (a position or office), eliminating a vacancy.
8
To treat (a tooth) by adding a dental filling to it.
9
To block, obstruct
10
To supply fully with food; to feed; to satisfy.
11
To trim (a yard) so that the wind blows on the after side of the sails.
12
To have sexual intercourse with (a female).
13
To ejaculate inside someone or something.

Etymology

From Middle English fillen, fullen, from Old English fyllan (“to fill, fill up, replenish, satisfy; complete, fulfill”), from Proto-West Germanic *fullijan, from Proto-Germanic *fullijaną (“to make full, fill”), from *fullaz (“full”), from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁nós (“full”). Cognate with Scots fill (“to fill”), West Frisian folje (“to fill”), Low German füllen (“to fill”), Dutch vullen (“to fill”), German füllen (“to fill”), Danish fylde (“to fill”), Swedish fylla (“to fill”), Norwegian fylle (“to fill”), Icelandic fylla (“to fill”) and Latin plenus (“full”)

Synonyms

pervade dickget up inknob swivecopulate with

Antonyms

empty empty

This word in other languages

llenar(Español)remplir(Français)füllen(Deutsch)encher(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffill,flil,ifll

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fill - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

Edit distance from "fill"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "fill"?

"fill" is spelled F-I-L-L. The IPA pronunciation is /fɪl/.

What does "fill" mean?

As a verb, "fill" means: To make full

What words are commonly confused with "fill"?

"fill" is commonly confused with "FL", "fit", "fix". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "fill"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fill" is /fɪl/. 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 "fill"?

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 “fill”

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

The one correct English spelling is F-I-L-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /fɪl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “FL” - see the side-by-side comparison. fill vs FL
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.