scalp

/skælp/

//skælp// noun

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

"scalp" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“scalp” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,499. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,499
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The top of the head; the skull.

Corpus desk

Index EN-scalp · scalp · English

scalp · rank #15,499 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,499
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sal

Nearest frequency peer: sal (-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 “scalp”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “scalp” 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).

scalp vs SCP
0% similar
scalp vs seal
60% similar
scalp vs snap
60% similar

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

Key facts for scalp
PropertyValue
Headwordscalp
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/skælp/
Letters5
Frequency rank#15,499
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “scalp”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “sal” (#15,498), “Schultz” (#15,500), “RSS” (#15,496). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “scalp” is #15,499. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around scalp (IPA /skælp/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,499 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for scalp, with forms such as "csalp", "saclp", and "scallp". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "SCP", "seal", "snap", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English scalp, skalp, scalpe (“crown of the head; skull”). Originally a northern word, and therefore probably from a North Germanic source, although the sense-development is unclear; compare Sylt North Frisian Skolp (“dandruff”), Old Norse skálp… The correct English form is scalp, spelled S-C-A-L-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    The top of the head; the skull.
  2. 2
    The part of the head where the hair grows from, or used to grow from.
  3. 3
    The part of the head where the hair grows from, or used to grow from.
  4. 4
    The part of the head where the hair grows from, or used to grow from.
  5. 5
    A victory, especially at the expense of someone else.
  6. 6
    A bed or stratum of shellfish.
  7. 7
    The top; the summit.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. By the bare scalpe of Robin Hoods fat Fryer, / This fellow were a King, for our wilde faction.
  2. The original titanium mesh plate that was inserted in the summer of 2010 was removed last June since it was causing his scalp to break down.

Etymology

From Middle English scalp, skalp, scalpe (“crown of the head; skull”). Originally a northern word, and therefore probably from a North Germanic source, although the sense-development is unclear; compare Sylt North Frisian Skolp (“dandruff”), Old Norse skálpr (“sheath”), Old Swedish skalp, Dutch schelp (“shell”).

This word in other languages

mollera(Español)cuir chevelu(Français)Kopfhaut(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • csalp
  • saclp
  • scallp
  • scalpp
  • scapl
  • sccalp
  • sclap
  • sscalp

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of scalp - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

csalp2saclp2scallp1scalpp1scapl2sccalp1sclap2sscalp1
Edit distance from "scalp"

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 "scalp"?
"scalp" is spelled S-C-A-L-P. The IPA pronunciation is /skælp/.
What does "scalp" mean?
As a noun, "scalp" means: The top of the head; the skull.
What words are commonly confused with "scalp"?
"scalp" is commonly confused with "SCP", "seal", "snap". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "scalp"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scalp" is /skælp/. 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 "scalp"?
From Middle English scalp, skalp, scalpe (“crown of the head; skull”). Originally a northern word, and therefore probably from a North Germanic source, although the sense-development is unclear; compare Sylt North Frisian Skolp (“dandruff”), Old N... 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 "scalp", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

rinse#15,494sheds#15,504psych#15,484squat#15,515

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

revise8 variantsStrauss8 variantsthorn8 variantsNaruto8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list