# surface

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈsɜː.fɪs/ · frequency rank #1,580

## Definitions
1. The overside or upside of a flat object such as a table, or of a liquid.
2. The outside hull of a tangible object.
3. Outward or external appearance.
4. The locus of an equation (especially one with exactly two degrees of freedom) in a space of more than two dimensions.
5. The story or image suggested by a cryptic clue, when read as a whole sentence without considering wordplay.
6. A portion of the display to which graphics can be rendered.

## Etymology
From Middle French surface. By surface analysis, sur- + face. Doublet of superficies.

## Easily confused with
- **surname** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/surface-vs-surname)
- **surfaced** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/surface-vs-surfaced)
- **suffice** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/suffice-vs-surface)
- **sulfate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sulfate-vs-surface)
- **scarface** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scarface-vs-surface)

## Common misspellings (10)
`sruface`, `ssurface`, `sufrace`, `surafce`, `surfacce`, `surfaec`, `surfcae`, `surfface`, `surrface`, `usrface`

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