# spice

> English word · Noun · IPA /spaɪs/ · frequency rank #7,851

## Definitions
1. Aromatic or pungent plant matter (usually dried) used to season or flavor food.
2. The quality of being spicy.
3. Appeal, interest; an attribute that makes something appealing, interesting, or engaging.
4. A psychoactive neocannabinoid.
5. Sweets, candy.
6. Species; kind.
7. A characteristic touch or taste; smack; flavour.
8. An aromatic odor.
9. Erotic or pornographic material, usually written; smut.
10. An additional input parameter used as a secondary, non-secret key in the Hasty Pudding cipher.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *speḱ-
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti
Proto-Italic *spekjō
Late Latin speciō
Proto-Italic *-jēs
Late Latin -iēs
Late Latin speciēs
Old French espicebor.
Anglo-Norman specebor.
Middle English spice
English spice
Inherited from Middle English spice, from Old French espice (modern épice), from Late Latin speciēs (“spice, good, ware”), from Latin speciēs (“kind, sort”). Doublet of species.

## Easily confused with
- **spin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-spin)
- **spit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-spit)
- **stick** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-stick)
- **spoke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-spoke)
- **suite** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-suite)
- **spite** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-spite)
- **spike** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-spike)
- **spine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-spine)
- **spill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-spill)
- **spicy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-spicy)
- **spies** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-spies)
- **swipe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-swipe)
- **spree** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-spree)
- **spins** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-spins)
- **swine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-swine)
- **spire** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-spire)
- **Spock** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-spock)
- **spore** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-spore)
- **spilt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-spilt)
- **spiky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spice-vs-spiky)

## Common misspellings (7)
`psice`, `sipce`, `spcie`, `spicce`, `spiec`, `sppice`, `sspice`

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