spatula

/ˈspætjʊlə/

//ˈspætjʊlə// noun

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

"spatula" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“spatula” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #34,696 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#34,696
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A kitchen utensil consisting of a flat surface attached to a long handle, used for turning, lifting, or stirring food.

Key facts for spatula
PropertyValue
Headwordspatula
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈspætjʊlə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#34,696
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “spatula” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). spatula lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for spatula is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈspætjʊlə/. Corpus data places it at rank #34,696 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for spatula, with forms such as "psatula", "saptula", and "spatlua". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin spatula (“a flat piece”), the diminutive form of spatha (“broad or flat tool”), from Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē, “a broad wood or metal blade”). Doublet of spauld; compare spatha and spathe. The correct English form is spatula, spelled S-P-A-T-U-L-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A kitchen utensil consisting of a flat surface attached to a long handle, used for turning, lifting, or stirring food.
  2. 2
    A kitchen utensil consisting of a flexible surface attached to a long handle, used for scraping the sides of bowls.
  3. 3
    A palette knife.
  4. 4
    A thin hand tool, often made of nickel, for handling chemicals or other materials, when weighing, etc.
  5. 5
    A tongue depressor.
  6. 6
    A croupier's tool for turning up cards in a casino.
  7. 7
    A sclerotized, T-shaped plate in the prothorax of larvae of flies belonging to family Cecidomyiidae, the gall midges.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin spatula (“a flat piece”), the diminutive form of spatha (“broad or flat tool”), from Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē, “a broad wood or metal blade”). Doublet of spauld; compare spatha and spathe.

This word in other languages

espátula(Español)spatule(Français)Pfannenwender(Deutsch)espátula(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: psatula,saptula,spatlua,spattula,spatual,spatulla,spautla,sppatula,sptaula,sspatula

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of spatula - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

psatula2saptula2spatlua2spattula1spatual2spatulla1spautla2sppatula1
Edit distance from "spatula"

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 "spatula"?
"spatula" is spelled S-P-A-T-U-L-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈspætjʊlə/.
What does "spatula" mean?
As a noun, "spatula" means: A kitchen utensil consisting of a flat surface attached to a long handle, used for turning, lifting, or stirring food.
What are common misspellings of "spatula"?
Common misspellings include "psatula", "saptula", "spatlua", "spattula", "spatual". The correct spelling is "spatula".
How do you pronounce "spatula"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "spatula" is /ˈspætjʊlə/. 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 "spatula"?
Borrowed from Latin spatula (“a flat piece”), the diminutive form of spatha (“broad or flat tool”), from Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē, “a broad wood or metal blade”). Doublet of spauld; compare spatha and spathe. 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.

Using “spatula”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-P-A-T-U-L-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈspætjʊlə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list