Spit vs. Spat – Which is Correct?
Both spit and spat are correct English words, but they serve different grammatical roles. Spit is the present tense and can be a past form, while spat is the past tense and past participle. Use spit for current or general actions; use spat for completed actions, especially in formal writing.
Spit or Spat – Which is Correct?
Spit and spat are both correct, but they are not always interchangeable. Spit is the present-tense form of the verb, as in “Some people spit on the sidewalk.” It can also function as a past form, particularly in informal American English or when referring to expelling saliva.
Spat is the traditional simple past and past participle of spit, as in “The athlete spat out the water.” In addition, spat is an independent noun meaning a brief, usually minor argument: “The siblings had a spat.”
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Use the time test. If the action is happening now or happens regularly, choose spit: “He spits when he talks.” If the action clearly happened in the past, choose spat: “He spat on the ground yesterday.” For a small argument, always use spat as a noun: “They had a spat.”
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| spit | Verb or noun | To force saliva or another substance from the mouth; saliva itself | Please do not spit on the pavement. |
| spat | Verb or noun | Past form of spit; a brief argument | They spat out the bitter medicine after a brief spat. |
How to Use Spit
Spit is primarily a verb meaning to force saliva, food, blood, or another substance out of the mouth. It can also describe speaking words angrily or quickly, as in “She spat out an insult,” although spit out is often used for this figurative meaning.
As a noun, spit means saliva. This use is generally neutral in scientific or medical contexts but can sound unpleasant in casual conversation. The verb is common in everyday speech, though deliberately spitting in public is usually considered rude or unhygienic.
Example 1: The child learned not to spit while speaking.
Example 2: He spit out the seeds before eating the fruit.
Example 3: The coach told the players to spit into a container rather than onto the field.
What are the different forms of spit?
Spit is an irregular verb. Its present-tense forms are spit and spits, as in “I spit” and “She spits.” The present participle is spitting. For the past tense and past participle, both spit and spat occur.
In many varieties of American English, spit is especially common when the meaning is literally to expel saliva: “He spit on the ground.” Spat is also correct and is often preferred in formal writing or when the action is expressed as a completed event: “He spat out the words.”
The same regional variation appears in Spelled vs. Spelt, where usage depends partly on dialect and editorial preference.
Etymology of the word spit
Spit comes from Old English spǣtan, meaning to spit or eject saliva. Related forms appear in several Germanic languages. The word has retained its basic meaning for centuries and has developed figurative uses, including “spit out” for expressing something abruptly or forcefully.
How to Use Spat
Spat has two important uses. First, it is the traditional past tense and past participle of spit: “The baby spat out the food” and “The seed was spat onto the ground.” This form is particularly useful in formal, edited, or carefully written English.
Second, spat is a noun meaning a short, unimportant quarrel. It commonly appears with words such as brief, minor, or petty. In this sense, it is unrelated to the verb form in meaning, although both words are spelled identically.
Example 1: The horse spat out the bit.
Example 2: The journalist reported that the two officials had spat over the proposed policy.
Example 3: The couple had a brief spat but soon reached an agreement.
What are the different forms of spat?
When spat is used as a verb, it is an irregular form: spit or spits in the present, spat in the past, spat as the past participle, and spitting as the present participle.
When spat is used as a noun meaning a quarrel, its plural is spats: “The siblings had several small spats.” The noun is countable and normally refers to a specific disagreement.
Etymology of the word spat
As the past form of spit, spat developed from the same Old English verb that produced spit. The noun spat, meaning a brief quarrel, emerged later in English and is generally considered an expressive word associated with a sharp but minor exchange.
Related Concepts
Understanding irregular verbs and words with multiple meanings makes the difference between spit and spat easier to recognize.
- Irregular verbs: Irregular verbs do not form their past tense simply by adding -ed. The verb spit may become spat in the past, much like sing becomes sang.
- Past tense: The past tense describes an action that happened earlier. “She spat out the drink” presents the action as completed.
- Past participle: The past participle is used with helping verbs such as has, have, and had, as in “The bird had spat out the seed.”
- Words with multiple meanings: A single spelling can have different grammatical roles or meanings. Spat can be either a verb form or a noun meaning a brief quarrel.
Examples from Media and Literature
These examples reflect the ways spit and spat commonly appear in journalism, fiction, film dialogue, and everyday reporting.
- Sports reporting: A report may say that a player “spat out his mouthguard” after a collision.
- Film dialogue: A character may “spit out” an accusation to show anger, contempt, or emotional intensity.
- News coverage: Political reporting often describes a “spat between lawmakers” over a proposed bill.
- Historical fiction: A narrator might write that a character “spat into the dust” to portray disgust or defiance.
- Children’s literature: Stories frequently use “spit out” when a character tastes unpleasant food and immediately rejects it.
Spit Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| Expectorate | To eject saliva, mucus, or another substance from the mouth; formal or medical. |
| Eject | To force or throw something out, including something from the mouth. |
| Disgorge | To release or force out something; formal and often figurative. |
| Spew | To force out liquid or other material, often in a messy or uncontrolled way. |
Spat Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| Argument | A disagreement or verbal conflict; broader and more neutral than spat. |
| Quarrel | An angry disagreement, often between people who know each other. |
| Dispute | A disagreement or conflict; more formal than spat. |
| Row | A noisy argument, especially in British English. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is “spat” the past tense of “spit”?
Yes. Spat is the traditional past tense and past participle of spit. For example, “The child spat out the medicine” and “The medicine was spat out.”
Question 2: Is “spit” also correct in the past tense?
Yes. Spit is used as a past-tense form in many varieties of English, especially American English. “He spit on the ground” is common, while “He spat on the ground” is often viewed as more formal or traditional.
Question 3: What does “a spat” mean?
As a noun, a spat means a brief or minor argument. For example, “The coworkers had a spat about the meeting schedule.”
Conclusion
Spit and spat are both correct. Use spit for present or general actions, and remember that it can also serve as a past form in common American usage. Use spat for a traditional past-tense or past-participle form, or for a brief argument. Pro tip: In formal writing, choosing spat for a completed action can make your grammar look more polished and precise.
