slimy

/ˈslaɪ.mi/

//ˈslaɪ.mi// adj

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

"slimy" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“slimy” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,252. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,252
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of or pertaining to slime

Corpus desk

Index EN-slimy · slimy · English

slimy · rank #26,252 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #26,252
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH skillet

Nearest frequency peer: skillet (-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 “slimy”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “slimy” 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).

slimy vs sly
60% similar
slimy vs slip
60% similar
slimy vs swim
60% similar

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

Key facts for slimy
PropertyValue
Headwordslimy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈslaɪ.mi/
Letters5
Frequency rank#26,252
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “slimy”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).slimylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “skillet” (#26,251), “slipper” (#26,253), “sloping” (#26,254). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “slimy” is #26,252. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around slimy (IPA /ˈslaɪ.mi/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #26,252 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for slimy, with forms such as "lsimy", "silmy", and "slimmy". 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, "sly", "slip", "swim", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English slymy, slimi, either derived from the Old English noun slīm or an unattested *slīmiġ, replacing Old English slipiġ (“slippy, slimy”). Equivalent to slime + -y. Cognate with Dutch slijmig, slijmerig (“slimy”), German schleimig (“slimy; sm… The correct English form is slimy, spelled S-L-I-M-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or pertaining to slime
  2. 2
    Resembling, of the nature of, covered or daubed with, or abounding in slime
  3. 3
    Friendly in a false, calculating way; underhanded; two-faced; sneaky; slick; smarmy.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The frog's body was all slimy.
  2. Slimy things did crawl with legs Upon the slimy sea.

Etymology

From Middle English slymy, slimi, either derived from the Old English noun slīm or an unattested *slīmiġ, replacing Old English slipiġ (“slippy, slimy”). Equivalent to slime + -y. Cognate with Dutch slijmig, slijmerig (“slimy”), German schleimig (“slimy; smarmy”), Swedish slemmig (“slimy”).

Synonyms

lubricousconniving

This word in other languages

viscoso(Español)visqueux(Français)schleimig(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • lsimy
  • silmy
  • slimmy
  • slimyy
  • sliym
  • sllimy
  • slmiy
  • sslimy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lsimy2silmy2slimmy1slimyy1sliym2sllimy1slmiy2sslimy1
Edit distance from "slimy"

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 "slimy"?
"slimy" is spelled S-L-I-M-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈslaɪ.mi/.
What does "slimy" mean?
As an adjective, "slimy" means: Of or pertaining to slime
What words are commonly confused with "slimy"?
"slimy" is commonly confused with "sly", "slip", "swim". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "slimy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "slimy" is /ˈslaɪ.mi/. 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 "slimy"?
From Middle English slymy, slimi, either derived from the Old English noun slīm or an unattested *slīmiġ, replacing Old English slipiġ (“slippy, slimy”). Equivalent to slime + -y. Cognate with Dutch slijmig, slijmerig (“slimy”), German schleimig (... 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 "slimy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

snout#26,255spank#26,258supra#26,272Reddy#26,222

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

wearer8 variantswillful8 variantsoctave8 variantsoctane8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list