# sip

> English word · Noun · IPA /sɪp/ · frequency rank #11,794

## Definitions
1. A small mouthful of drink.
2. An event at which people drink alcohol in small, usually subintoxicating amounts.

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English sippen, of uncertain origin. Compare with Low German sippen (“to sip”). Possibly from a variant of Middle English suppen (“to drink, sip”) (see sup) or perhaps from Old English sipian, sypian (“to take in moisture, soak, macerate”), from Proto-Germanic *sipōną (“to drip, trickle”), from Proto-Indo-European *seyb- (“to pour out, trickle, leak out”). Compare also Old High German supfen (“to drink, sip”), from Proto-Germanic *sūpaną (“to sip, intake”).

## Easily confused with
- **so** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-so)
- **SS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-ss)
- **SP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-sp)
- **su** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-su)
- **SM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-sm)
- **SW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-sw)
- **SL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-sl)
- **SK** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-sk)
- **SV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-sv)
- **SJ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-sj)
- **Sy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-sy)
- **six** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-six)
- **son** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-son)
- **sir** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-sir)
- **sun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-sun)
- **sit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-sit)
- **sky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-sky)
- **sub** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-sub)
- **sum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-sum)
- **spy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sip-vs-spy)

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