scallop

/ˈskɑləp/

//ˈskɑləp// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"scallop" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“scallop” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,543. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,543
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of various marine bivalve molluscs of the superfamily Pectinoidea.

Corpus desk

Index EN-scallop · scallop · English

scallop · rank #39,543 · 9 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #39,543
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH savagely

Nearest frequency peer: savagely (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “scallop”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “scallop” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

scallop vs scalp
71% similar
scallop vs shallow
71% similar
scallop vs swallow
71% similar

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

Key facts for scallop
PropertyValue
Headwordscallop
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈskɑləp/
Letters7
Frequency rank#39,543
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “scallop”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).scalloplands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “savagely” (#39,542), “rubric” (#39,541), “schoolmaster” (#39,545). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “scallop” is #39,543. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around scallop (IPA /ˈskɑləp/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #39,543 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for scallop, with forms such as "csallop", "sacllop", and "scallopp". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "scalp", "shallow", "swallow", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French escalope (“shell”). Doublet of escalope. Related to scale and shell. The correct English form is scallop, spelled S-C-A-L-L-O-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of various marine bivalve molluscs of the superfamily Pectinoidea.
  2. 2
    One of a series of curves, forming an edge similar to a scallop shell, especially in knitting and crochet.
  3. 3
    A fillet of meat, escalope.
  4. 4
    A battered and deep-fried round potato slice.
  5. 5
    A sautéed potato (a shallow-fried round potato slice).
  6. 6
    A dish shaped like a scallop shell.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how scallop appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. A coral rose, its petals unfolded in scallop around the tight inner bud

Etymology

From Old French escalope (“shell”). Doublet of escalope. Related to scale and shell.

This word in other languages

venera(Español)coquille Saint-Jacques(Français)Jakobsmuschel(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • csallop
  • sacllop
  • scallopp
  • scallpo
  • scalolp
  • scalop
  • sccallop
  • sclalop
  • sscallop

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of scallop - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

csallop2sacllop2scallopp1scallpo2scalolp2scalop1sccallop1sclalop2
Edit distance from "scallop"

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 "scallop"?
"scallop" is spelled S-C-A-L-L-O-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskɑləp/.
What does "scallop" mean?
As a noun, "scallop" means: Any of various marine bivalve molluscs of the superfamily Pectinoidea.
What words are commonly confused with "scallop"?
"scallop" is commonly confused with "scalp", "shallow", "swallow". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "scallop"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scallop" is /ˈskɑləp/. 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 "scallop"?
From Old French escalope (“shell”). Doublet of escalope. Related to scale and shell. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "scallop", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

scoping#39,548rewrote#39,533restful#39,531slacker#39,568

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

rubric9 variantsshaikh9 variantssignor9 variantsredman9 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list