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” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,497 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#17,497
frequency rank, English
8
letters
13
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To cause (a substance) to fall in fine drops (for a liquid substance) or small pieces (for a solid substance).

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)

Where “sprinkle” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for sprinkle is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈspɹɪŋkəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,497 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

Using “sprinkle”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-P-R-I-N-K-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈspɹɪŋkəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “sprinkler” - see the side-by-side comparison. sprinkle vs sprinkler
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list