sprinkle

/ˈspɹɪŋkəl/

//ˈspɹɪŋkəl// verb

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

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

The verdict

“sprinkle” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,497. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,497
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cause (a substance) to fall in fine drops (for a liquid substance) or small pieces (for a solid substance).

Corpus desk

Index EN-sprinkle · sprinkle · English

sprinkle · rank #17,497 · 13 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,497
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH spotting

Nearest frequency peer: spotting (-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 “sprinkle”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “sprinkle” 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).

sprinkle vs sprinkler
89% similar
sprinkle vs sprinkles
89% similar
sprinkle vs spindle
75% similar

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

Key facts for sprinkle
PropertyValue
Headwordsprinkle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈspɹɪŋkəl/
Letters8
Frequency rank#17,497
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “sprinkle”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).sprinklelands 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 “spotting” (#17,496), “spruce” (#17,498), “spherical” (#17,495). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sprinkle” is #17,497. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around sprinkle (IPA /ˈspɹɪŋkəl/), averb. Corpus frequency is #17,497 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 sprinkle, with forms such as "psrinkle", "spirnkle", and "spprinkle". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "sprinkler", "sprinkles", "spindle", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English sprenkelen, sprynklen, from Middle Dutch sprenkelen, equivalent to sprink + -le (frequentative suffix). Cognate with Dutch sprenkelen (“to sprinkle”), German Low German sprenkeln (“to sprinkle; dapple”), German sprenkeln (“to sprinkle”). The correct English form is sprinkle, spelled S-P-R-I-N-K-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cause (a substance) to fall in fine drops (for a liquid substance) or small pieces (for a solid substance).
  2. 2
    To cover (an object) by sprinkling a substance on to it.
  3. 3
    To drip in fine drops, sometimes sporadically.
  4. 4
    To rain very lightly outside.
  5. 5
    To baptize by the application of a few drops, or a small quantity, of water; hence, to cleanse; to purify.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The confectioner sprinkled icing sugar over the cakes.
  2. And the priest shall[…]sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord.

Etymology

From Middle English sprenkelen, sprynklen, from Middle Dutch sprenkelen, equivalent to sprink + -le (frequentative suffix). Cognate with Dutch sprenkelen (“to sprinkle”), German Low German sprenkeln (“to sprinkle; dapple”), German sprenkeln (“to sprinkle”).

Synonyms

dustsift

This word in other languages

salpicar(Español)saupoudrer(Français)sprühen(Deutsch)espirrar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • psrinkle
  • spirnkle
  • spprinkle
  • spriknle
  • sprinkel
  • sprinkkle
  • sprinklle
  • sprinlke
  • sprinnkle
  • sprnikle
  • sprrinkle
  • srpinkle
  • ssprinkle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

psrinkle2spirnkle2spprinkle1spriknle2sprinkel2sprinkkle1sprinklle1sprinlke2
Edit distance from "sprinkle"

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 "sprinkle"?
"sprinkle" is spelled S-P-R-I-N-K-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈspɹɪŋkəl/.
What does "sprinkle" mean?
As a verb, "sprinkle" means: To cause (a substance) to fall in fine drops (for a liquid substance) or small pieces (for a solid substance).
What words are commonly confused with "sprinkle"?
"sprinkle" is commonly confused with "sprinkler", "sprinkles", "spindle". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sprinkle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sprinkle" is /ˈspɹɪŋkəl/. 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 "sprinkle"?
From Middle English sprenkelen, sprynklen, from Middle Dutch sprenkelen, equivalent to sprink + -le (frequentative suffix). Cognate with Dutch sprenkelen (“to sprinkle”), German Low German sprenkeln (“to sprinkle; dapple”), German sprenkeln (“to s... 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 "sprinkle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

spotting#17,496snapshot#17,492skeletal#17,488showtime#17,485

Similar misspelling depth

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

scramble13 variantswetlands13 variantswrecking13 variantspervasive13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list