slingshot

/ˈslɪŋʃɒt/

//ˈslɪŋʃɒt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“slingshot” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #30,972. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#30,972
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A Y-shaped stick with an elastic sling between the arms used for shooting small projectiles.

Corpus desk

Index EN-slingshot · slingshot · English

slingshot · rank #30,972 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #30,972
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sleepover

Nearest frequency peer: sleepover (-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 “slingshot”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “slingshot” 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
Key facts for slingshot
PropertyValue
Headwordslingshot
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈslɪŋʃɒt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#30,972
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “slingshot”

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).slingshotlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “sleepover” (#30,971), “slurry” (#30,973), “Siena” (#30,970). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “slingshot” is #30,972. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around slingshot (IPA /ˈslɪŋʃɒt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #30,972 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for slingshot, with forms such as "lsingshot", "silngshot", and "slignshot". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From sling + shot. The correct English form is slingshot, spelled S-L-I-N-G-S-H-O-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A Y-shaped stick with an elastic sling between the arms used for shooting small projectiles.
  2. 2
    A stationary, often triangular object that launches any ball that hits its longest side back at a high force, now usually located above the flipper and between it and the inlane, with one each for both lower flippers.
  3. 3
    A sling bikini.
  4. 4
    An implement of a broad fabric worn around and connecting both bicipites brachii to support benching the most heavy weights.
  5. 5
    The act of passing cars queuing in the left-hand lane and using the right-hand lane to go around a roundabout, exiting at the desired junction having avoided the queue.
  6. 6
    Synonym of slingshot effect.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. ‘Terry Madison. Instead of fiddling with that shanghai, give us a thought.’ ‘It’s a gongai,’ Swiftie said. ‘I mean that’s the name for a shanghai which is another name for a catapult...that Mr Delarue calls a slingshot.’

Etymology

From sling + shot.

Synonyms

bean shootercatapultfliphand catapultshanghai

This word in other languages

baladora(Español)lance-pierre(Français)Schleuder(Deutsch)estilingue(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • lsingshot
  • silngshot
  • slignshot
  • slinggshot
  • slinghsot
  • slingshhot
  • slingshott
  • slingshto
  • slingsoht
  • slingsshot
  • slinngshot
  • slinsghot
  • sllingshot
  • slnigshot
  • sslingshot

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lsingshot2silngshot2slignshot2slinggshot1slinghsot2slingshhot1slingshott1slingshto2
Edit distance from "slingshot"

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 "slingshot"?
"slingshot" is spelled S-L-I-N-G-S-H-O-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈslɪŋʃɒt/.
What does "slingshot" mean?
As a noun, "slingshot" means: A Y-shaped stick with an elastic sling between the arms used for shooting small projectiles.
What are common misspellings of "slingshot"?
Common misspellings include "lsingshot", "silngshot", "slignshot", "slinggshot", "slinghsot". The correct spelling is "slingshot".
How do you pronounce "slingshot"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "slingshot" is /ˈslɪŋʃɒt/. 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 "slingshot"?
From sling + shot. 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 "slingshot", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sleepover#30,971sprinkles#30,980steampunk#30,983tarnished#30,999

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

subspecies15 variantstesticular15 variantspolarizing15 variantsPocahontas15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list