spliff

/splɪf/

//splɪf// noun

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

"spliff" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“spliff” is uncommon English (frequency #64,024 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#64,024
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A cannabis cigarette.

Corpus desk

Index EN-spliff · spliff · English

spliff · rank #64,024 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #64,024
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH SRF

Nearest frequency peer: SRF (+4 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.

Long-tail ranks near “spliff”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “spliff” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for spliff
PropertyValue
Headwordspliff
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/splɪf/
Letters6
Frequency rank#64,024
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “spliff” in English

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).splifffalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “SRF” (#64,028), “snakeskin” (#64,019), “SMR” (#64,018). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “spliff” is #64,024. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

spliff is uncommon English at frequency #64,024 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /splɪf/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A cannabis cigarette.".

spliff doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Jamaican Creole, possibly a blend of split, referring to the ready-made wrap, + whiff, referring to the smell of the smoke. The correct English form is spliff, spelled S-P-L-I-F-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    A cannabis cigarette.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. smoke a spliff
  2. Pablo switched off the wipers and struck a match to light the spliff he had just finished building.

Etymology

From Jamaican Creole, possibly a blend of split, referring to the ready-made wrap, + whiff, referring to the smell of the smoke.

This word in other languages

porro(Español)spliff(Français)Joint(Deutsch)

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 "spliff"?
"spliff" is spelled S-P-L-I-F-F. The IPA pronunciation is /splɪf/.
What does "spliff" mean?
As a noun, "spliff" means: A cannabis cigarette.
How do you pronounce "spliff"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "spliff" is /splɪf/. 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 "spliff"?
From Jamaican Creole, possibly a blend of split, referring to the ready-made wrap, + whiff, referring to the smell of the smoke. 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 "spliff", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

storer#64,037tattle#64,052Tomoko#64,067scanty#63,977

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list