salami

[səˈlɑːmɪ]

/[səˈlɑːmɪ]/ noun

"salami" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“salami” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #33,832 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#33,832
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A large cured meat sausage of Italian origin, served in slices.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

salami vs slam
67% similar
salami vs Sami
50% similar
salami vs Salem
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for salami
PropertyValue
Headwordsalami
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[səˈlɑːmɪ]
Letters6
Frequency rank#33,832
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “salami” 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). salami 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 salami is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [səˈlɑːmɪ]. Corpus data places it at rank #33,832 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for salami, with forms such as "aslami", "saalmi", and "salaim". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "slam", "Sami", "Salem", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Italian salami, plural of salame (“salami”), from sale (“salt”), from Latin sal. The correct English form is salami, spelled S-A-L-A-M-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    A large cured meat sausage of Italian origin, served in slices.
  2. 2
    A grand slam.
  3. 3
    The penis.

Etymology

From Italian salami, plural of salame (“salami”), from sale (“salt”), from Latin sal.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aslami,saalmi,salaim,salammi,sallami,salmai,slaami,ssalami

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of salami - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

aslami2saalmi2salaim2salammi1sallami1salmai2slaami2ssalami1
Edit distance from "salami"

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 "salami"?
"salami" is spelled S-A-L-A-M-I. The IPA pronunciation is [səˈlɑːmɪ].
What does "salami" mean?
As a noun, "salami" means: A large cured meat sausage of Italian origin, served in slices.
What words are commonly confused with "salami"?
"salami" is commonly confused with "slam", "Sami", "Salem". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "salami"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "salami" is [səˈlɑːmɪ]. 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 "salami"?
From Italian salami, plural of salame (“salami”), from sale (“salt”), from Latin sal. 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 “salami”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-A-L-A-M-I - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [səˈlɑːmɪ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “slam” - see the side-by-side comparison. salami vs slam
  • 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