skip

/skɪp/

//skɪp// verb

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

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

The verdict

“skip” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,082. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,082
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To move by hopping on alternate feet.

Corpus desk

Index EN-skip · skip · English

skip · rank #5,082 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,082
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sink

Nearest frequency peer: sink (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “skip”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “skip” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

skip vs SP
0% similar
skip vs sky
50% similar
skip vs SNP
0% similar

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

Key facts for skip
PropertyValue
Headwordskip
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/skɪp/
Letters4
Frequency rank#5,082
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “skip” 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). skip lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around skip (IPA /skɪp/), averb. Corpus frequency is #5,082 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for skip, with forms such as "ksip", "sikp", and "skipp". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "SP", "sky", "SNP", 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 skippen, skyppen, of North Germanic origin, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *skupjaną, perhaps related to *skeubaną (“to drive, push”), iterative *skuppōną (“to push/move repeatedly, skip”), from Proto-Indo-European *skewbʰ- (“to push, th… The correct English form is skip, spelled S-K-I-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To move by hopping on alternate feet.
  2. 2
    To leap about lightly.
  3. 3
    To skim, ricochet or bounce over a surface.
  4. 4
    To throw (something), making it skim, ricochet, or bounce over a surface.
  5. 5
    To disregard, miss or omit part of a continuation (some item or stage).
  6. 6
    Not to attend (some event, especially a class or a meeting).
  7. 7
    To leave, especially in a sudden and covert manner.
  8. 8
    To leap lightly over.
  9. 9
    To jump rope.
  10. 10
    To cause the stylus to jump back to the previous loop of the record's groove, continuously repeating that part of the sound, as a result of excessive scratching or wear. (of a phonograph record)
  11. 11
    To pass by a stitch as if it were not there, continuing with the next stitch.
  12. 12
    To have insufficient ink transfer.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She will skip from one end of the sidewalk to the other.
  2. The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day, / Had he thy reason, would he skip and play?

Etymology

From Middle English skippen, skyppen, of North Germanic origin, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *skupjaną, perhaps related to *skeubaną (“to drive, push”), iterative *skuppōną (“to push/move repeatedly, skip”), from Proto-Indo-European *skewbʰ- (“to push, throw, shake”). Related to Icelandic skopa (“to take a run”), Old Swedish skuppa (“to skip”), modern dialectal Swedish skopa, skimpa (“to skip, leap”), and English shove. See also dialectal English skimp (“to mock”) (Etymology 1), considered by some to be related.

Synonyms

play hooky

This word in other languages

saltar(Español)sautiller(Français)hüpfen(Deutsch)pular(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ksip
  • sikp
  • skipp
  • skkip
  • skpi
  • sskip

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ksip2sikp2skipp1skkip1skpi2sskip1
Edit distance from "skip"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "skip"?
"skip" is spelled S-K-I-P. The IPA pronunciation is /skɪp/.
What does "skip" mean?
As a verb, "skip" means: To move by hopping on alternate feet.
What words are commonly confused with "skip"?
"skip" is commonly confused with "SP", "sky", "SNP". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "skip"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "skip" is /skɪp/. 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 "skip"?
From Middle English skippen, skyppen, of North Germanic origin, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *skupjaną, perhaps related to *skeubaną (“to drive, push”), iterative *skuppōną (“to push/move repeatedly, skip”), from Proto-Indo-European *skewbʰ- (“t... 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 "skip", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

sink#5,081snap#5,084swim#5,089poet#5,074

Similar misspelling depth

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

Swiss6 variantsowns6 variantshung6 variantsFred6 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "skip". Here's where to go from here.

  • "skip" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "SP". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #5,082 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "S" letter cohort. S–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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