slang
/ˈslæŋ/
"slang" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“slang” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,023. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #14,023
- frequency rank, English
- 6,566
- “S” headwords
- 8
- tracked misspellings
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Language outside of conventional usage and in the informal register.
Corpus desk
Index EN-slang · slang · English
slang · rank #14,023 · 8 variants · 20 confusables
- FREQ-MID #14,023
- LEN-MID 5 letters
- VOW-1 1 vowel
- CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
- VAR-MID 8 variants
- BOOK-DENSE 6,566
- PHOTO-FINISH sitcom
Nearest frequency peer: sitcom (-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.
Frequency neighbourhood for “slang”
Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)
- sitcom
sitcom
85,979 corpus weight
- slang
slang
85,978 corpus weight
- slid
slid
85,977 corpus weight
- spices
spices
85,975 corpus weight
- spirited
spirited
85,974 corpus weight
- spirituality
spirituality
85,973 corpus weight
What this shows Bars show where “slang” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | slang |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈslæŋ/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Frequency rank | #14,023 |
| Misspellings tracked | 8 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “slang” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 8 spelling variants around slang (IPA /ˈslæŋ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #14,023 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.
Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for slang, with forms such as "lsang", "salng", and "slagn". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "song", "span", "stan", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: First use appears c. 1756, meaning "special vocabulary of tramps or thieves", origin unknown. Not believed to be connected with language or lingo. Possibly derived from a North Germanic source, then possibly related to Nordic language: Danish slænge, Icelan… The correct English form is slang, spelled S-L-A-N-G.
Definition
- 1Language outside of conventional usage and in the informal register.
- 2Language that is unique to a particular profession or subject; jargon.
- 3The specialized language of a social group, sometimes used to conceal one's meaning from outsiders; cant.
- 4A particular variety of slang; the slang used by a particular group.
- 5An item of slang; a slang word or expression.
- 6A curse word.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how slang appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
She was amused by his talk, which was simple, straightforward, rather humorous and keen, and interspersed with homely expressions of a style which is sometimes called slang.
English-speaking Australians have always had a love affair with slang.
Etymology
First use appears c. 1756, meaning "special vocabulary of tramps or thieves", origin unknown. Not believed to be connected with language or lingo. Possibly derived from a North Germanic source, then possibly related to Nordic language: Danish slænge, Icelandic and Norwegian Nynorsk slengja, Norwegian slenge, Swedish slänga (“to (carelessly) sling, throw, hurl; throw away, to dispose of; to flail”), with derivational nouns such as slæng, sleng, släng etc. Compare the compound: Danish slængenavn, Norwegian slengenavn, Norwegian Nynorsk slengenamn, Swedish slängnamn (“nickname, byname, informal name”, literally “sling-name”), and the phrases: Norwegian Nynorsk slengja kjeften, Swedish slänga käften (“to abuse verbally”, literally “to sling one's jowl”), Swedish slänga ur sig (“to say something hastily, carelessly, thoughtlessly”, literally “to throw out of oneself”), also Swedish (regional) slänga (“careless, nonchalant girl”, literally “sling + feminine suffix -a”).
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- lsang
- salng
- slagn
- slangg
- slanng
- sllang
- slnag
- sslang
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of slang - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.
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.
PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "slang"?
What does "slang" mean?
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Similar English words by spelling shape
Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "slang", not the corpus desk frequency band.
Same letter count
Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).
Similar misspelling depth
Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).
What to do next
You've looked up "slang". Here's where to go from here.
- "slang" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "song". View pair
- 8 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
- Usage frequency rank #14,023 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
- Browse more English words in the "S" letter cohort. S–Z browse
- PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day
PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.
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.