skim

/skɪm/

//skɪm// verb

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

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

The verdict

“skim” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #23,397 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#23,397
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To pass lightly; to glide along in an even, smooth course; to glide along near the surface.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

skim vs SM
0% similar
skim vs sky
50% similar
skim vs sum
50% similar

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

Key facts for skim
PropertyValue
Headwordskim
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/skɪm/
Letters4
Frequency rank#23,397
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “skim” 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). skim 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 skim is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /skɪm/. Corpus data places it at rank #23,397 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 13 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for skim, with forms such as "ksim", "sikm", and "skimm". 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, "SM", "sky", "sum", 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 Middle English skemen, skymen, variants of scumen, from Old French escumer (“to remove scum”), from escume (“froth, foam”), from Frankish *skūm (“froth, foam”), from Proto-Germanic *skūmaz (“foam”), from Proto-Indo-European *skew- (“to cover, conceal”)… The correct English form is skim, spelled S-K-I-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    To pass lightly; to glide along in an even, smooth course; to glide along near the surface.
  2. 2
    To pass near the surface of; to brush the surface of; to glide swiftly along the surface of.
  3. 3
    To hasten along with superficial attention.
  4. 4
    To put on a finishing coat of plaster.
  5. 5
    To throw an object so it bounces on water.
  6. 6
    To ricochet.
  7. 7
    To read quickly or describe summarily, skipping some detail.
  8. 8
    To scrape off; to remove (something) from a surface
  9. 9
    To clear (a liquid) from scum or substance floating or lying on it, by means of a utensil that passes just beneath the surface.
  10. 10
    To clear a liquid from (scum or substance floating or lying on it), especially the cream that floats on top of fresh milk.
  11. 11
    To steal money from a business before the transaction has been recorded, thus avoiding detection.
  12. 12
    To surreptitiously scan a payment card in order to obtain its information for fraudulent purposes.
  13. 13
    To become coated over.

Etymology

From Middle English skemen, skymen, variants of scumen, from Old French escumer (“to remove scum”), from escume (“froth, foam”), from Frankish *skūm (“froth, foam”), from Proto-Germanic *skūmaz (“foam”), from Proto-Indo-European *skew- (“to cover, conceal”). See scum.

This word in other languages

rebotar(Español)effleurer(Français)flitschen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ksim,sikm,skimm,skkim,skmi,sskim

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ksim2sikm2skimm1skkim1skmi2sskim1
Edit distance from "skim"

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 "skim"?
"skim" is spelled S-K-I-M. The IPA pronunciation is /skɪm/.
What does "skim" mean?
As a verb, "skim" means: To pass lightly; to glide along in an even, smooth course; to glide along near the surface.
What words are commonly confused with "skim"?
"skim" is commonly confused with "SM", "sky", "sum". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "skim"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "skim" is /skɪm/. 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 "skim"?
From Middle English skemen, skymen, variants of scumen, from Old French escumer (“to remove scum”), from escume (“froth, foam”), from Frankish *skūm (“froth, foam”), from Proto-Germanic *skūmaz (“foam”), from Proto-Indo-European *skew- (“to cover,... 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 “skim”

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

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