slake

/sleɪk/

//sleɪk// verb

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

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

The verdict

“slake” is an uncommon English word, ranked #94,264 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#94,264
frequency rank, English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To satisfy (thirst, or other desires).

Key facts for slake
PropertyValue
Headwordslake
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/sleɪk/
Letters5
Frequency rank#94,264
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “slake” 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). slake 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 slake is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /sleɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #94,264 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.

Zero misspellings are on record for slake in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English slaken (“to render slack, to slake”), from Old English sleacian, from Old English slæc (“slack”). Unrelated to, but possibly influenced by, the Old Norse sløkkva (“to extinguish”), compare Swedish släcka in the phrase släcka sin törst (“… The correct English form is slake, spelled S-L-A-K-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To satisfy (thirst, or other desires).
  2. 2
    To cool (something) with water or another liquid.
  3. 3
    To become mixed with water, so that a true chemical combination takes place.
  4. 4
    To mix with water, so that a true chemical combination takes place.
  5. 5
    Of a person: to become less energetic, to slacken in one's efforts.
  6. 6
    To slacken; to become relaxed or loose.
  7. 7
    To become less intense; to weaken, decrease in force.
  8. 8
    To go out; to become extinct.

Etymology

From Middle English slaken (“to render slack, to slake”), from Old English sleacian, from Old English slæc (“slack”). Unrelated to, but possibly influenced by, the Old Norse sløkkva (“to extinguish”), compare Swedish släcka in the phrase släcka sin törst (“quench one's thirst”), släcka elden (“put out the fire”), and släckt kalk (“slaked lime”).

This word in other languages

saciar(Español)étancher(Français)stillen(Deutsch)matar(Português)

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 "slake"?
"slake" is spelled S-L-A-K-E. The IPA pronunciation is /sleɪk/.
What does "slake" mean?
As a verb, "slake" means: To satisfy (thirst, or other desires).
How do you pronounce "slake"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "slake" is /sleɪk/. 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 "slake"?
From Middle English slaken (“to render slack, to slake”), from Old English sleacian, from Old English slæc (“slack”). Unrelated to, but possibly influenced by, the Old Norse sløkkva (“to extinguish”), compare Swedish släcka in the phrase släcka si... 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 “slake”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-L-A-K-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /sleɪk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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