slaughter

/ˈslɔːtə/

//ˈslɔːtə// noun

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

"slaughter" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“slaughter” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,099 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#9,099
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The killing of animals, generally for food.

Key facts for slaughter
PropertyValue
Headwordslaughter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈslɔːtə/
Letters9
Frequency rank#9,099
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “slaughter” 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). slaughter 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 slaughter is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈslɔːtə/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,099 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for slaughter, with forms such as "lsaughter", "salughter", and "slaguhter". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English slaughter, from Old Norse *slahtr, later sláttr, from Proto-Germanic *slahtrą, from Proto-Germanic *slahaną. Equivalent to slay + -ter (as in laughter). Eventually derived from Proto-Indo-European *slak- (“to hit, strike, throw”). Relate… The correct English form is slaughter, spelled S-L-A-U-G-H-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    The killing of animals, generally for food.
  2. 2
    A massacre; the killing of a large number of people.
  3. 3
    A mass destruction of non-living things.
  4. 4
    A rout or decisive defeat.
  5. 5
    A group of iguanas.

Etymology

From Middle English slaughter, from Old Norse *slahtr, later sláttr, from Proto-Germanic *slahtrą, from Proto-Germanic *slahaną. Equivalent to slay + -ter (as in laughter). Eventually derived from Proto-Indo-European *slak- (“to hit, strike, throw”). Related with Dutch slachten, German schlachten, Finnish lahdata (all “to slaughter”).

This word in other languages

matanza(Español)abattage(Français)Schlachtung(Deutsch)matança(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lsaughter,salughter,slaguhter,slaugghter,slaughetr,slaughhter,slaughterr,slaughtre,slaughtter,slaugther,slauhgter,sllaughter,sluaghter,sslaughter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lsaughter2salughter2slaguhter2slaugghter1slaughetr2slaughhter1slaughterr1slaughtre2
Edit distance from "slaughter"

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 "slaughter"?
"slaughter" is spelled S-L-A-U-G-H-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈslɔːtə/.
What does "slaughter" mean?
As a noun, "slaughter" means: The killing of animals, generally for food.
What are common misspellings of "slaughter"?
Common misspellings include "lsaughter", "salughter", "slaguhter", "slaugghter", "slaughetr". The correct spelling is "slaughter".
How do you pronounce "slaughter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "slaughter" is /ˈslɔːtə/. 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 "slaughter"?
From Middle English slaughter, from Old Norse *slahtr, later sláttr, from Proto-Germanic *slahtrą, from Proto-Germanic *slahaną. Equivalent to slay + -ter (as in laughter). Eventually derived from Proto-Indo-European *slak- (“to hit, strike, throw... 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 “slaughter”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-L-A-U-G-H-T-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈslɔːtə/ (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