slam

/slæm/

//slæm// verb

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

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

The verdict

“slam” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,961. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,961
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 shut with sudden force so as to produce a shock and noise.

Corpus desk

Index EN-slam · slam · English

slam · rank #6,961 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,961
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH shelf

Nearest frequency peer: shelf (-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 “slam”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “slam” 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).

slam vs SM
0% similar
slam vs sum
50% similar
slam vs spa
50% similar

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

Key facts for slam
PropertyValue
Headwordslam
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/slæm/
Letters4
Frequency rank#6,961
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “slam”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).slamlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “shelf” (#6,960), “stakes” (#6,962), “ruins” (#6,959). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “slam” is #6,961. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around slam (IPA /slæm/), averb. Corpus frequency is #6,961 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 14 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for slam, with forms such as "lsam", "salm", and "slamm". 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, "SM", "sum", "spa", 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 *slammen (not recorded), apparently from a Scandinavian source ultimately from Old Norse slæma, slœma (“to slam, swing a weapon, strike an object out of reach”), related to Old Norse slamra, slambra (“to slam”). Cognate with Norwegian Bo… The correct English form is slam, spelled S-L-A-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    To shut with sudden force so as to produce a shock and noise.
  2. 2
    To put in or on a particular place with force and loud noise. (Often followed by a preposition such as down, against or into.)
  3. 3
    To strike forcefully with some implement.
  4. 4
    To strike against suddenly and heavily.
  5. 5
    To strike and take the life of or at least incapacitate for some time.
  6. 6
    To defeat or overcome in a match.
  7. 7
    To speak badly of; to criticize forcefully.
  8. 8
    To compete in a poetry slam.
  9. 9
    To dunk forcefully, to slam dunk.
  10. 10
    To move a customer from one service provider to another without their consent.
  11. 11
    To drink off, to drink quickly.
  12. 12
    To inject intravenously; shoot up.
  13. 13
    To perform coitus upon forcefully; to rail.
  14. 14
    To occupy and busy with a high workload.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Don't slam the door!
  2. Britain’s borders: wide open to Covid, slammed shut for people in need [title]

Etymology

From Middle English *slammen (not recorded), apparently from a Scandinavian source ultimately from Old Norse slæma, slœma (“to slam, swing a weapon, strike an object out of reach”), related to Old Norse slamra, slambra (“to slam”). Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål slamre (“to slam”), Swedish slamra (“to pound, beat, make a clatter, rattle”), Norwegian Nynorsk slamra (“to sway, dangle”).

This word in other languages

azotar(Español)claquer(Français)zuschlagen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • lsam
  • salm
  • slamm
  • sllam
  • slma
  • sslam

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lsam2salm2slamm1sllam1slma2sslam1
Edit distance from "slam"

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 "slam"?
"slam" is spelled S-L-A-M. The IPA pronunciation is /slæm/.
What does "slam" mean?
As a verb, "slam" means: To shut with sudden force so as to produce a shock and noise.
What words are commonly confused with "slam"?
"slam" is commonly confused with "SM", "sum", "spa". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "slam"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "slam" is /slæm/. 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 "slam"?
From Middle English *slammen (not recorded), apparently from a Scandinavian source ultimately from Old Norse slæma, slœma (“to slam, swing a weapon, strike an object out of reach”), related to Old Norse slamra, slambra (“to slam”). Cognate with No... 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 "slam", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

tire#6,970warn#6,976bail#6,988mega#6,934

Similar misspelling depth

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

lamb6 variantsbuck6 variantsheck6 variantsdisk6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list