splinter

/ˈsplɪn.tə(ɹ)/

//ˈsplɪn.tə(ɹ)// noun

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

"splinter" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“splinter” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,231. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,231
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A long, sharp fragment of material, often wood.

Corpus desk

Index EN-splinter · splinter · English

splinter · rank #20,231 · 13 variants · 9 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #20,231
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 9 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH specialize

Nearest frequency peer: specialize (-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 “splinter”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “splinter” 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).

splinter vs splints
75% similar
splinter vs springer
75% similar
splinter vs sprinter
88% similar

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

Key facts for splinter
PropertyValue
Headwordsplinter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsplɪn.tə(ɹ)/
Letters8
Frequency rank#20,231
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “splinter”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “specialize” (#20,230), “spoons” (#20,232), “spanking” (#20,229). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “splinter” is #20,231. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around splinter (IPA /ˈsplɪn.tə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #20,231 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for splinter, with forms such as "pslinter", "slpinter", and "spilnter". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 9 confusable-pair relationships, "splints", "springer", "sprinter", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English splinter, from Middle Dutch splinter, equivalent to splint + -er. The correct English form is splinter, spelled S-P-L-I-N-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A long, sharp fragment of material, often wood.
  2. 2
    A long, sharp fragment of material, often wood.
  3. 3
    A group that formed by splitting off from a larger membership.
  4. 4
    A double-jump bid which indicates shortage in the bid suit.
  5. 5
    A fragment of a component word in a blend.

Etymology

From Middle English splinter, from Middle Dutch splinter, equivalent to splint + -er.

Synonyms

slivershardspelkspillfactionsplinter group

This word in other languages

astilla(Español)éclat(Français)Splitter(Deutsch)farpa(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • pslinter
  • slpinter
  • spilnter
  • splinetr
  • splinnter
  • splinterr
  • splintre
  • splintter
  • splitner
  • spllinter
  • splniter
  • spplinter
  • ssplinter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of splinter - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

pslinter2slpinter2spilnter2splinetr2splinnter1splinterr1splintre2splintter1
Edit distance from "splinter"

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 "splinter"?
"splinter" is spelled S-P-L-I-N-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsplɪn.tə(ɹ)/.
What does "splinter" mean?
As a noun, "splinter" means: A long, sharp fragment of material, often wood.
What words are commonly confused with "splinter"?
"splinter" is commonly confused with "splints", "springer", "sprinter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "splinter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "splinter" is /ˈsplɪn.tə(ɹ)/. 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 "splinter"?
From Middle English splinter, from Middle Dutch splinter, equivalent to splint + -er. 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 "splinter", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

spanking#20,229standout#20,235securely#20,221swimsuit#20,241

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

seasoning13 variantsVersailles13 variantsworshipped13 variantsProverbs13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list