# sift

> English word · Verb · IPA /sɪft/ · frequency rank #28,368

## Definitions
1. To sieve or strain (something).
2. To separate or scatter (things) as if by sieving.
3. To examine (something) carefully.
4. To examine (something) carefully.
5. To move data records up in memory to make space to insert further records.

## Etymology
From Middle English syften, from Old English siftan, from Proto-West Germanic *siftijan.

## Easily confused with
- **six** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-six)
- **sir** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-sir)
- **sit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-sit)
- **sin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-sin)
- **SIM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-sim)
- **sip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-sip)
- **sis** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-sis)
- **sig** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-sig)
- **sil** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-sil)
- **SPF** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-spf)
- **SMT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-smt)
- **Siu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-siu)
- **sot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-sot)
- **sik** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-sik)
- **SST** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-sst)
- **site** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-site)
- **size** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-size)
- **sign** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-sign)
- **sort** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-sort)
- **spot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sift-vs-spot)

## Common misspellings (6)
`isft`, `sfit`, `sifft`, `siftt`, `sitf`, `ssift`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/sift