scum

/skʌm/

//skʌm// noun

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

"scum" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“scum” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,112. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,112
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A layer of impurities that accumulates at the surface of a liquid (especially molten metal or water).

Corpus desk

Index EN-scum · scum · English

scum · rank #11,112 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,112
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH scripts

Nearest frequency peer: scripts (-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 “scum”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “scum” 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).

scum vs su
50% similar
scum vs SM
0% similar
scum vs sun
50% similar

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

Key facts for scum
PropertyValue
Headwordscum
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/skʌm/
Letters4
Frequency rank#11,112
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “scum”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).scumlands 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 “scripts” (#11,111), “Serbia” (#11,113), “salute” (#11,110). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “scum” is #11,112. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around scum (IPA /skʌm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #11,112 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for scum, with forms such as "csum", "sccum", and "scmu". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "su", "SM", "sun", 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 scum, scome, skum, skome, scumme, from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch schūme (“foam”), from Old Dutch *scūm, from Frankish *skūm, from Proto-Germanic *skūmaz (“froth, foam”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewH- (“to cover, conceal”). C… The correct English form is scum, spelled S-C-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A layer of impurities that accumulates at the surface of a liquid (especially molten metal or water).
  2. 2
    A greenish water vegetation (such as algae), usually found floating on the surface of ponds
  3. 3
    The topmost liquid layer of a cesspool or septic tank.
  4. 4
    Semen.
  5. 5
    A reprehensible person or persons.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. During smelting, scum rises to the surface and is then removed by the smelter.
  2. These organisms form scum in large quantities.

Etymology

From Middle English scum, scome, skum, skome, scumme, from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch schūme (“foam”), from Old Dutch *scūm, from Frankish *skūm, from Proto-Germanic *skūmaz (“froth, foam”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewH- (“to cover, conceal”). Cognate with Dutch schuim (“foam”), West Frisian skuum, German Schaum (“foam”), Danish and Swedish skum (“foam”). Compare also French écume (“scum”), Italian schiuma (“foam”), Saterland Frisian Skuum, Sicilian scuma (“foam”), Walloon schome (“scum, foam”), Lithuanian šamas (“catfish”) and skanus (“tasty”) from the same Germanic source. Related to skim.

This word in other languages

escoria(Español)écume(Français)Abschaum(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • csum
  • sccum
  • scmu
  • scumm
  • sscum
  • sucm

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of scum - 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.

csum2sccum1scmu2scumm1sscum1sucm2
Edit distance from "scum"

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 "scum"?
"scum" is spelled S-C-U-M. The IPA pronunciation is /skʌm/.
What does "scum" mean?
As a noun, "scum" means: A layer of impurities that accumulates at the surface of a liquid (especially molten metal or water).
What words are commonly confused with "scum"?
"scum" is commonly confused with "su", "SM", "sun". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "scum"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scum" is /skʌm/. 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 "scum"?
From Middle English scum, scome, skum, skome, scumme, from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch schūme (“foam”), from Old Dutch *scūm, from Frankish *skūm, from Proto-Germanic *skūmaz (“froth, foam”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewH- (“to cover, co... 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 "scum", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Roma#11,105tore#11,139vera#11,149lump#11,065

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

Romeo6 variantsvogue6 variantsadore6 variantsmacro6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list