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” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,961 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#6,961
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To shut with sudden force so as to produce a shock and noise.

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)

Where “slam” 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). slam 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 slam is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /slæm/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,961 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 14 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 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.

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.

Using “slam”

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

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