skype

/skaɪp/

//skaɪp// verb

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

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

The verdict

“skype” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,607. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,607
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make (a telephone call) using Skype software.

Corpus desk

Index EN-skype · skype · English

skype · rank #11,607 · 8 variants · 15 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,607
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 15 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH skeptical

Nearest frequency peer: skeptical (-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 “skype”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “skype” 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).

skype vs style
60% similar
skype vs slope
60% similar
skype vs swipe
60% similar

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

Key facts for skype
PropertyValue
Headwordskype
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/skaɪp/
Letters5
Frequency rank#11,607
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “skype”

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).skypelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “skeptical” (#11,606), “sleepy” (#11,608), “sidewalk” (#11,605). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “skype” is #11,607. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around skype (IPA /skaɪp/), averb. Corpus frequency is #11,607 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for skype, with forms such as "ksype", "skkype", and "skpye". 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 15 confusable-pair relationships, "style", "slope", "swipe", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Skype. The correct English form is skype, spelled S-K-Y-P-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make (a telephone call) using Skype software.
  2. 2
    To send (a message or file) with Skype.
  3. 3
    To contact (a person) via Skype.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I'll skype you tomorrow. We can skype for a couple of hours.
  2. While spatial mobility does cause discontinuity in social relationships and result in losing the support system from their home country (Rangaswamy 2000), yet the social ties of our participants have not dissolved as they have been able to maintain supportive networks in India through physical visits, e-mails, ‘skypeing’ to contacts in foreign places.

Etymology

From Skype.

This word in other languages

skyper(Français)skypen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ksype
  • skkype
  • skpye
  • skyep
  • skyppe
  • skyype
  • sskype
  • sykpe

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ksype2skkype1skpye2skyep2skyppe1skyype1sskype1sykpe2
Edit distance from "skype"

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 "skype"?
"skype" is spelled S-K-Y-P-E. The IPA pronunciation is /skaɪp/.
What does "skype" mean?
As a verb, "skype" means: To make (a telephone call) using Skype software.
What words are commonly confused with "skype"?
"skype" is commonly confused with "style", "slope", "swipe". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "skype"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "skype" is /skaɪp/. 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 "skype"?
From Skype. 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 "skype", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

scarf#11,600sushi#11,618tails#11,622timer#11,625

Similar misspelling depth

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

revive8 variantstying8 variantszhang8 variantsbaths8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list