slap

/slæp/

//slæp// noun

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

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

The verdict

“slap” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,502. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,502
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A blow, especially one given with the open hand, or with something broad and flat.

Corpus desk

Index EN-slap · slap · English

slap · rank #7,502 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,502
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH shouting

Nearest frequency peer: shouting (-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 “slap”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “slap” 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).

slap vs SP
0% similar
slap vs spa
50% similar
slap vs SNP
0% similar

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

Key facts for slap
PropertyValue
Headwordslap
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/slæp/
Letters4
Frequency rank#7,502
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “slap”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).slaplands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “shouting” (#7,501), “steak” (#7,503), “sexuality” (#7,500). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “slap” is #7,502. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around slap (IPA /slæp/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #7,502 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for slap, with forms such as "lsap", "salp", and "slapp". 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, "SP", "spa", "SNP", 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 slappen, of uncertain origin, possibly imitative. Compare Low German Slappe (“slap”), whence also German Schlappe (“defeat”). Compare also Italian sleppa (“slap”). The correct English form is slap, spelled S-L-A-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A blow, especially one given with the open hand, or with something broad and flat.
  2. 2
    A sharp percussive sound like that produced by such a blow.
  3. 3
    The percussive sound produced in slap bass playing.
  4. 4
    Makeup; cosmetics.
  5. 5
    An eye-catching sticker used in street art.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He gave me a friendly slap on the back as a sign of camaraderie.
  2. the slap of my feet on the bathroom tiles

Etymology

From Middle English slappen, of uncertain origin, possibly imitative. Compare Low German Slappe (“slap”), whence also German Schlappe (“defeat”). Compare also Italian sleppa (“slap”).

This word in other languages

bofetada(Español)claque(Français)Klaps(Deutsch)estalo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • lsap
  • salp
  • slapp
  • sllap
  • slpa
  • sslap

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of slap - 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.

lsap2salp2slapp1sllap1slpa2sslap1
Edit distance from "slap"

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 "slap"?
"slap" is spelled S-L-A-P. The IPA pronunciation is /slæp/.
What does "slap" mean?
As a noun, "slap" means: A blow, especially one given with the open hand, or with something broad and flat.
What words are commonly confused with "slap"?
"slap" is commonly confused with "SP", "spa", "SNP". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "slap"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "slap" is /slæp/. 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 "slap"?
From Middle English slappen, of uncertain origin, possibly imitative. Compare Low German Slappe (“slap”), whence also German Schlappe (“defeat”). Compare also Italian sleppa (“slap”). 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 "slap", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Rico#7,492bees#7,529Chen#7,536Joel#7,466

Similar misspelling depth

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

steak6 variantssally6 variantsmanga6 variantshers6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list