The design of a tissue-equivalent fast-neutron spectrometer based on a miniature NE213 organic liquid scintillator cell is described. The neutron-gamma discrimination, the relative monoenergetic neutron response and the angular response have been studied. The detector efficiency was measured with a calibrated isotopic neutron source. The limitations of the spectrometer for clinical measurements of fast-neutron spectra by distinguishing between fast-neutron and gamma-ray events with a static discriminator and by unfolding the spectra with a differential code are summarised.