skank

/ˈskæŋk/

//ˈskæŋk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“skank” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,901. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,901
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A lewd and disreputable person, often female, especially an unattractive person with an air of tawdry promiscuity.

Corpus desk

Index EN-skank · skank · English

skank · rank #42,901 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,901
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH SJW

Nearest frequency peer: SJW (-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 “skank”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “skank” 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).

skank vs skin
60% similar
skank vs span
60% similar
skank vs stan
60% similar

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

Key facts for skank
PropertyValue
Headwordskank
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈskæŋk/
Letters5
Frequency rank#42,901
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “skank”

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).skanklands 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 “SJW” (#42,900), “sixpence” (#42,899), “skinhead” (#42,903). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “skank” is #42,901. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around skank (IPA /ˈskæŋk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #42,901 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for skank, with forms such as "ksank", "saknk", and "skakn". 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, "skin", "span", "stan", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Unknown. Perhaps from skag (“unattractive woman”), but the origins of skag are unknown. Compare scold (“troublesome woman”), skeevy (“disgusting”). Attested from the 1960s. The correct English form is skank, spelled S-K-A-N-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A lewd and disreputable person, often female, especially an unattractive person with an air of tawdry promiscuity.
  2. 2
    Anything that is particularly foul, unhygienic or unpleasant.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Whenever a slang word is heard, the youngsters note it, then write sentences which include the word. […]Hawk: to watch – as in “Man, that skank steady hawks me in school.”
  2. It's also my job to take care of the skanks on the road that you bang.

Etymology

Unknown. Perhaps from skag (“unattractive woman”), but the origins of skag are unknown. Compare scold (“troublesome woman”), skeevy (“disgusting”). Attested from the 1960s.

Synonyms

promiscuous woman

This word in other languages

Schlampe(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ksank
  • saknk
  • skakn
  • skankk
  • skannk
  • skkank
  • sknak
  • sskank

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ksank2saknk2skakn2skankk1skannk1skkank1sknak2sskank1
Edit distance from "skank"

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 "skank"?
"skank" is spelled S-K-A-N-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskæŋk/.
What does "skank" mean?
As a noun, "skank" means: A lewd and disreputable person, often female, especially an unattractive person with an air of tawdry promiscuity.
What words are commonly confused with "skank"?
"skank" is commonly confused with "skin", "span", "stan". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "skank"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "skank" is /ˈskæŋk/. 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 "skank"?
Unknown. Perhaps from skag (“unattractive woman”), but the origins of skag are unknown. Compare scold (“troublesome woman”), skeevy (“disgusting”). Attested from the 1960s. 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 "skank", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Sligo#42,905shill#42,892speer#42,912squaw#42,917

Similar misspelling depth

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

siting8 variantsSemite8 variantsricotta8 variantsTaoist8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list