# sparse

> English word · Adjective · IPA /spɑːs/ · frequency rank #18,193

## Definitions
1. Having widely spaced intervals.
2. Not dense; meager; scanty
3. Having few nonzero elements

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin sparsus.

## Easily confused with
- **spas** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sparse-vs-spas)
- **stars** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sparse-vs-stars)
- **Spurs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sparse-vs-spurs)
- **stare** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sparse-vs-stare)
- **spree** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sparse-vs-spree)
- **spire** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sparse-vs-spire)
- **spore** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sparse-vs-spore)
- **spasm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sparse-vs-spasm)
- **spate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sparse-vs-spate)
- **spouse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sparse-vs-spouse)
- **Spears** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sparse-vs-spears)
- **starve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sparse-vs-starve)
- **Sparta** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sparse-vs-sparta)
- **sparsely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sparse-vs-sparsely)
- **spar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spar-vs-sparse)
- **SARS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sars-vs-sparse)
- **space** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/space-vs-sparse)
- **share** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/share-vs-sparse)
- **spare** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spare-vs-sparse)
- **scare** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scare-vs-sparse)

## Common misspellings (9)
`psarse`, `saprse`, `spares`, `sparrse`, `sparsse`, `spasre`, `spparse`, `sprase`, `ssparse`

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