slag

/slæɡ/

//slæɡ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“slag” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #22,814 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#22,814
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Waste material from a mine.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

slag vs spa
50% similar
slag vs sly
50% similar
slag vs STA
0% similar

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

Key facts for slag
PropertyValue
Headwordslag
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/slæɡ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#22,814
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “slag” 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). slag 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 slag is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /slæɡ/. Corpus data places it at rank #22,814 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 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 slag, with forms such as "lsag", "salg", and "slagg". 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, "spa", "sly", "STA", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle Low German slagge, slaggen (“slag, dross”), from Old Saxon *slaggo, from Proto-West Germanic *slaggō, from Proto-Germanic *slaggô, from Proto-Germanic *slagōną (“to strike”) + *-gô (diminutive suffix). Compare Middle Low German slāgen (… The correct English form is slag, spelled S-L-A-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Waste material from a mine.
  2. 2
    Scum that forms on the surface of molten metal.
  3. 3
    Impurities formed and separated out when a metal is smelted from ore; vitrified cinders.
  4. 4
    Hard aggregate remaining as a residue from blast furnaces, sometimes used as a surfacing material.
  5. 5
    Scoria associated with a volcano.
  6. 6
    A prostitute or promiscuous woman; a slut.
  7. 7
    A coward.
  8. 8
    A contemptible person, a scumbag.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle Low German slagge, slaggen (“slag, dross”), from Old Saxon *slaggo, from Proto-West Germanic *slaggō, from Proto-Germanic *slaggô, from Proto-Germanic *slagōną (“to strike”) + *-gô (diminutive suffix). Compare Middle Low German slāgen (“to strike”), since originally the splinters struck off from the metal by hammering, from *slagōn, from Proto-West Germanic *slagōn. Compare also Old Saxon slegi, from Proto-West Germanic *slagi. See also Dutch slak, German Schlacke, Swedish slagg; also compare English slay.

This word in other languages

escoria(Español)scorie(Français)Abraum(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lsag,salg,slagg,slga,sllag,sslag

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of slag - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

lsag2salg2slagg1slga2sllag1sslag1
Edit distance from "slag"

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 "slag"?
"slag" is spelled S-L-A-G. The IPA pronunciation is /slæɡ/.
What does "slag" mean?
As a noun, "slag" means: Waste material from a mine.
What words are commonly confused with "slag"?
"slag" is commonly confused with "spa", "sly", "STA". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "slag"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "slag" is /slæɡ/. 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 "slag"?
Borrowed from Middle Low German slagge, slaggen (“slag, dross”), from Old Saxon *slaggo, from Proto-West Germanic *slaggō, from Proto-Germanic *slaggô, from Proto-Germanic *slagōną (“to strike”) + *-gô (diminutive suffix). Compare Middle Low Germa... 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 “slag”

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

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