spasm

/ˈspæz.m̩/

//ˈspæz.m̩// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"spasm" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“spasm” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #35,950. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#35,950
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle, a group of muscles, or a hollow organ.

Corpus desk

Index EN-spasm · spasm · English

spasm · rank #35,950 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #35,950
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Spartacus

Nearest frequency peer: Spartacus (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “spasm”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “spasm” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

spasm vs SPS
0% similar
spasm vs swam
60% similar
spasm vs spat
60% similar

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

Key facts for spasm
PropertyValue
Headwordspasm
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈspæz.m̩/
Letters5
Frequency rank#35,950
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “spasm”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).spasmlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Spartacus” (#35,949), “spearhead” (#35,951), “spacetime” (#35,948). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “spasm” is #35,950. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around spasm (IPA /ˈspæz.m̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #35,950 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for spasm, with forms such as "psasm", "sapsm", and "spams". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "SPS", "swam", "spat", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English spasme, from Old French spasme, from Latin spasmus, from Ancient Greek σπασμός (spasmós, “spasm, convulsion”), from σπάω (spáō, “to draw out, pull out”). The correct English form is spasm, spelled S-P-A-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle, a group of muscles, or a hollow organ.
  2. 2
    A violent, excruciating seizure of pain.
  3. 3
    A sudden and temporary burst of energy, activity, or emotion.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how spasm appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Jessica went into spasms after eating a peanut.
  2. He would use the simplest, plainest language, he said to himself over and over again; but it is not always easy to use simple, plain language,—by no means so easy as to mount on stilts, and to march along with sesquipedalian words, with pathos, spasms, and notes of interjection.

Etymology

From Middle English spasme, from Old French spasme, from Latin spasmus, from Ancient Greek σπασμός (spasmós, “spasm, convulsion”), from σπάω (spáō, “to draw out, pull out”).

This word in other languages

espasmo(Español)spasme(Français)Krampf(Deutsch)espasmo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • psasm
  • sapsm
  • spams
  • spasmm
  • spassm
  • sppasm
  • spsam
  • sspasm

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of spasm - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

psasm2sapsm2spams2spasmm1spassm1sppasm1spsam2sspasm1
Edit distance from "spasm"

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 "spasm"?
"spasm" is spelled S-P-A-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈspæz.m̩/.
What does "spasm" mean?
As a noun, "spasm" means: A sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle, a group of muscles, or a hollow organ.
What words are commonly confused with "spasm"?
"spasm" is commonly confused with "SPS", "swam", "spat". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "spasm"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "spasm" is /ˈspæz.m̩/. 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 "spasm"?
From Middle English spasme, from Old French spasme, from Latin spasmus, from Ancient Greek σπασμός (spasmós, “spasm, convulsion”), from σπάω (spáō, “to draw out, pull out”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "spasm", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sleet#35,939seedy#35,933scifi#35,930swath#35,974

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

squeal8 variantssavanna8 variantsrésumé8 variantsRainer8 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list