# sphincter

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈsfɪŋk.tɚ/ · frequency rank #39,102

## Definitions
1. A ringlike band of muscle that surrounds a bodily opening (such as the anus or the openings of the stomach), constricting and relaxing as required for normal physiological functioning.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Late Latin sphinctērlbor.
English sphincter
Learned borrowing from Late Latin sphinctēr (“the muscle of the anus”), from Ancient Greek σφῐγκτήρ (sphĭnktḗr, “lace, band; contractile muscle”), ultimately of Pre-Greek origin. Possibly related to sphinx (“the strangler”).

## Easily confused with
- **splinter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sphincter-vs-splinter)
- **sprinter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sphincter-vs-sprinter)
- **spinster** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sphincter-vs-spinster)

## Common misspellings (15)
`pshincter`, `shpincter`, `sphhincter`, `sphicnter`, `sphinccter`, `sphincetr`, `sphincterr`, `sphinctre`, `sphinctter`, `sphinncter`, `sphintcer`, `sphnicter`, `spihncter`, `spphincter`, `ssphincter`

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