# snitch

> English word · Verb · IPA /snɪt͡ʃ/ · frequency rank #25,583

## Definitions
1. To inform on someone, especially in betrayal of others.
2. To contact or cooperate with the police for any reason.
3. To steal, quickly and quietly.

## Etymology
Origin uncertain. Perhaps an alteration of Middle English snacche (“a trap, snare”), snacchen (“to seize (prey)”, whence modern English snatch). Compare also Middle English snik snak (“a sudden blow, snap”). Alternatively, perhaps from a dialectal variant of sneak, from Middle English sniken, from Old English snīcan (“to creep; crawl”). More at sneak.

## Easily confused with
- **switch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snitch-vs-switch)
- **stitch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snitch-vs-stitch)
- **swatch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snitch-vs-swatch)
- **sith** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sith-vs-snitch)
- **sich** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sich-vs-snitch)
- **smith** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/smith-vs-snitch)
- **saith** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/saith-vs-snitch)
- **sketch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sketch-vs-snitch)
- **scotch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scotch-vs-snitch)
- **snatch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/snatch-vs-snitch)

## Common misspellings (10)
`nsitch`, `sintch`, `snicth`, `snitcch`, `snitchh`, `snithc`, `snittch`, `snnitch`, `sntich`, `ssnitch`

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