skimpy

/ˈskɪmpi/

//ˈskɪmpi// adj

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

"skimpy" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“skimpy” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,092. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,092
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Small or inadequate; not generous; diminutive.

Corpus desk

Index EN-skimpy · skimpy · English

skimpy · rank #39,092 · 10 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #39,092
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sinkhole

Nearest frequency peer: sinkhole (-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 “skimpy”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “skimpy” 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).

skimpy vs skip
67% similar
skimpy vs slimy
67% similar
skimpy vs skinny
67% similar

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

Key facts for skimpy
PropertyValue
Headwordskimpy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈskɪmpi/
Letters6
Frequency rank#39,092
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “skimpy”

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).skimpylands 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 “sinkhole” (#39,091), “singularly” (#39,090), “snore” (#39,095). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “skimpy” is #39,092. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around skimpy (IPA /ˈskɪmpi/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #39,092 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for skimpy, with forms such as "ksimpy", "sikmpy", and "skimmpy". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "skip", "slimy", "skinny", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From skimp + -y. The correct English form is skimpy, spelled S-K-I-M-P-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Small or inadequate; not generous; diminutive.
  2. 2
    Very small, light, or revealing.
  3. 3
    Wearing skimpy clothing; scantily clad.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. They served a pretty skimpy portion of ice cream as the free birthday dessert.
  2. He was of a pallid complexion, hair of a kind of dirty fairness, greyish eyes, and a skimpy, immature moustache under his peaked indeterminate nose.

Etymology

From skimp + -y.

This word in other languages

knapp(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ksimpy
  • sikmpy
  • skimmpy
  • skimppy
  • skimpyy
  • skimyp
  • skipmy
  • skkimpy
  • skmipy
  • sskimpy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ksimpy2sikmpy2skimmpy1skimppy1skimpyy1skimyp2skipmy2skkimpy1
Edit distance from "skimpy"

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 "skimpy"?
"skimpy" is spelled S-K-I-M-P-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskɪmpi/.
What does "skimpy" mean?
As an adjective, "skimpy" means: Small or inadequate; not generous; diminutive.
What words are commonly confused with "skimpy"?
"skimpy" is commonly confused with "skip", "slimy", "skinny". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "skimpy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "skimpy" is /ˈskɪmpi/. 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 "skimpy"?
From skimp + -y. 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 "skimpy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

shriek#39,088shaves#39,085sedate#39,081sundae#39,122

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

rosebud10 variantssucrose10 variantssundry10 variantsswampy10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list