split

/splɪt/

//splɪt// verb

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

"split" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“split” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,270. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,270
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To divide fully or partly along a more or less straight line.

Corpus desk

Index EN-split · split · English

split · rank #2,270 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,270
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH specifically

Nearest frequency peer: specifically (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “split”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “split” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

split vs spot
60% similar
split vs suit
60% similar
split vs sport
60% similar

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

Key facts for split
PropertyValue
Headwordsplit
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/splɪt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#2,270
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “split” sits in English frequency

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).splitlands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “specifically” (#2,269), “task” (#2,271), “revealed” (#2,268). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around split (IPA /splɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #2,270 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 14 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for split, with forms such as "pslit", "slpit", and "splitt". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "spot", "suit", "sport", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Attested since about 1567, from Middle Dutch splitten (“to split”) and/or Middle Low German splitten (“to split”), both ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *splittjan, an intensive form of Proto-West Germanic *splītan (“to split”), from Proto-Germanic *splī… The correct English form is split, spelled S-P-L-I-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To divide fully or partly along a more or less straight line.
  2. 2
    To break along the grain fully or partly along a more or less straight line.
  3. 3
    To share; to divide.
  4. 4
    To leave.
  5. 5
    To separate.
  6. 6
    To (cause to) break up; to throw into discord.
  7. 7
    To factor into linear factors.
  8. 8
    To factor into linear factors.
  9. 9
    To factor into linear factors.
  10. 10
    To be broken; to be dashed to pieces.
  11. 11
    To burst out laughing.
  12. 12
    To divulge a secret; to betray confidence; to peach.
  13. 13
    For both teams involved in a doubleheader to win one game each and lose another.
  14. 14
    To vote for candidates of opposite parties.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He has split his lip.
  2. a huge vessel of exceeding hard marble split asunder by congealed water

Etymology

Attested since about 1567, from Middle Dutch splitten (“to split”) and/or Middle Low German splitten (“to split”), both ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *splittjan, an intensive form of Proto-West Germanic *splītan (“to split”), from Proto-Germanic *splītaną (whence Danish splitte, Low German splieten, German spleißen), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pley- (“to split, splice”). Compare Middle English ysplett (“split”, past participle of splatten (“to split”)), Old English speld (“splinter”), Old High German spaltan (“to split”), Middle Irish slis (“splinter”), Lithuanian spaliai (“flax sheaves”), Czech půl (“half”), Old Church Slavonic рас-плитати (ras-plitati, “to cleave, split”).

This word in other languages

partir(Español)fendre(Français)spalten(Deutsch)partir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • pslit
  • slpit
  • splitt
  • spllit
  • splti
  • spplit
  • ssplit

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of split - 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.

pslit2slpit2splitt1spllit1splti2spplit1ssplit1
Edit distance from "split"

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 "split"?
"split" is spelled S-P-L-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is /splɪt/.
What does "split" mean?
As a verb, "split" means: To divide fully or partly along a more or less straight line.
What words are commonly confused with "split"?
"split" is commonly confused with "spot", "suit", "sport". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "split"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "split" is /splɪt/. 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 "split"?
Attested since about 1567, from Middle Dutch splitten (“to split”) and/or Middle Low German splitten (“to split”), both ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *splittjan, an intensive form of Proto-West Germanic *splītan (“to split”), from Proto-Germ... 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 "split", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

taxes#2,272quiet#2,267posts#2,265urban#2,275

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

leads7 variantsfault7 variantsactor7 variantsmixed7 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "split". Here's where to go from here.

  • "split" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "spot". View pair
  • 7 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #2,270 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "S" letter cohort. S–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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