# split

> English word · Verb · IPA /splɪt/ · frequency rank #2,270

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

## 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”).

## Easily confused with
- **spot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/split-vs-spot)
- **suit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/split-vs-suit)
- **sport** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/split-vs-sport)
- **spoil** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/split-vs-spoil)
- **spout** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/split-vs-spout)
- **spurt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/split-vs-spurt)
- **sprint** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/split-vs-sprint)
- **sprite** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/split-vs-sprite)
- **spoilt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/split-vs-spoilt)
- **sit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sit-vs-split)
- **SPL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spl-vs-split)
- **shit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shit-vs-split)
- **salt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/salt-vs-split)
- **spin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spin-vs-split)
- **slip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/slip-vs-split)
- **slot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/slot-vs-split)
- **slim** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/slim-vs-split)
- **spit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spit-vs-split)
- **slut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/slut-vs-split)
- **slid** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/slid-vs-split)

## Common misspellings (7)
`pslit`, `slpit`, `splitt`, `spllit`, `splti`, `spplit`, `ssplit`

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