spoilsport

/ˈspɔɪl.spɔːt/

//ˈspɔɪl.spɔːt// noun

"spoilsport" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“spoilsport” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Someone who puts an end to others' fun, especially harmless fun.

Corpus desk

Index EN-spoilsport · spoilsport · English

spoilsport · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for spoilsport
PropertyValue
Headwordspoilsport
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈspɔɪl.spɔːt/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “spoilsport” in English

spoilsportfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

spoilsport is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈspɔɪl.spɔːt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Someone who puts an end to others' fun, especially harmless fun.".

No misspelling variants are generated for spoilsport in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From the verbal expression spoil sport (“ruin the amusement”). The correct English form is spoilsport, spelled S-P-O-I-L-S-P-O-R-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone who puts an end to others' fun, especially harmless fun.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I know I am a sad spoilsport, but it would make me wretched.
  2. He looks a spoilsport. There are men in whose presence it is impossible to have any fun: men who are a sort of walking conscience.

Etymology

From the verbal expression spoil sport (“ruin the amusement”).

Synonyms

Antonyms

life and soul of the partylife of the partylive wireparty animal

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "spoilsport"?
"spoilsport" is spelled S-P-O-I-L-S-P-O-R-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈspɔɪl.spɔːt/.
What does "spoilsport" mean?
As a noun, "spoilsport" means: Someone who puts an end to others' fun, especially harmless fun.
How do you pronounce "spoilsport"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "spoilsport" is /ˈspɔɪl.spɔːt/. 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 "spoilsport"?
From the verbal expression spoil sport (“ruin the amusement”). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list