SpellRight

SpellRight › Spelling

Moderate

span

The correct spelling is span.

How to pronounce span

/spæn/
noun

IPA: /spæn/

Say it like: Spa-n

The correct spelling is span. The space from the thumb to the end of the little finger when extended; nine inches; an eighth of a fathom. For example: "He has a short attention span and gets bored within minutes."

Usage Examples

He has a short attention span and gets bored within minutes.

The suspension bridge spanned the canyon.

The novel spans three centuries.

Meanings

noun

  1. 1.The space from the thumb to the end of the little finger when extended; nine inches; an eighth of a fathom.
  2. 2.(by extension) A small space or a brief portion of time.
  3. 3.A portion of something by length; a subsequence.
  4. 4.The spread or extent of an arch or between its abutments, or of a beam, girder, truss, roof, bridge, or the like, between supports.
  5. 5.The length of a cable, wire, rope, chain between two consecutive supports.

verb

  1. 1.To extend through the distance between or across.
  2. 2.To extend through (a time period).
  3. 3.To measure by the span of the hand with the fingers extended, or with the fingers encompassing the object.
  4. 4.To generate an entire space by means of linear combinations.
  5. 5.To be matched, as horses.

Similar words

Words related in meaning — check their spelling too.

View synonyms & usage examples