slip

/slɪp/

//slɪp// verb

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

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

The verdict

“slip” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,488. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,488
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To lose one’s traction on a slippery surface; to slide due to a lack of friction.

Corpus desk

Index EN-slip · slip · English

slip · rank #4,488 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,488
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH signals

Nearest frequency peer: signals (-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 “slip”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “slip” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

slip vs SP
0% similar
slip vs SNP
0% similar
slip vs sup
50% similar

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

Key facts for slip
PropertyValue
Headwordslip
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/slɪp/
Letters4
Frequency rank#4,488
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “slip” 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). slip lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around slip (IPA /slɪp/), averb. Corpus frequency is #4,488 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 17 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for slip, with forms such as "lsip", "silp", and "slipp". 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, "SP", "SNP", "sup", 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 slippen, probably from Middle Low German slippen, from Old Saxon *slippian, from Proto-West Germanic *slippjan, from Proto-Germanic *slipjaną (“to glide”), an iterative form of *slīpaną (“to slip, slide”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleyb… The correct English form is slip, spelled S-L-I-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To lose one’s traction on a slippery surface; to slide due to a lack of friction.
  2. 2
    To err.
  3. 3
    To accidentally reveal a secret or otherwise say something unintentionally.
  4. 4
    To move or fly (out of place); to shoot; often with out, off, etc.
  5. 5
    To elude or evade by smooth movement.
  6. 6
    To pass (a note, money, etc.), often covertly.
  7. 7
    To cause to move smoothly and quickly; to slide; to convey gently or secretly.
  8. 8
    To move quickly and often secretively; to depart, withdraw, enter, appear, intrude, or escape as if by sliding.
  9. 9
    To move down; to slide.
  10. 10
    To release (a dog, a bird of prey, etc.) to go after a quarry.
  11. 11
    Clipping of sideslip (“to fly with the longitudinal axis misaligned with the relative wind”).
  12. 12
    To remove the skin of a soft fruit, such as a tomato or peach, by blanching briefly in boiling water, then transferring to cold water so that the skin peels, or slips, off easily.
  13. 13
    To omit; to lose by negligence.
  14. 14
    To cut slips from; to cut; to take off; to make a slip or slips of.
  15. 15
    To cause to slip or slide off, or out of place.
  16. 16
    To bring forth (young) prematurely; to slink.
  17. 17
    To cause (a schedule or release, etc.) to go, or let it go, beyond the allotted deadline.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [...] but in the damp conditions prevailing the driver sensibly was unwilling to attempt the climb up through Combe Down tunnel without help, for fear of slipping to a standstill in the unventilated bore, […]
  2. Fernando Amorebieta seemed to have checked him, but a stepover created a fraction of room that became significant as the defender slipped, giving Falcao just enough space to curl a superb finish into the top corner.

Etymology

From Middle English slippen, probably from Middle Low German slippen, from Old Saxon *slippian, from Proto-West Germanic *slippjan, from Proto-Germanic *slipjaną (“to glide”), an iterative form of *slīpaną (“to slip, slide”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleyb- (“slimy; to slide”). Possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *slewbʰ- (“slip, slide”), or related to Proto-Germanic *slībaną (“to split”); related to Old English slipor (“slippery”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian slipje (“to slip”), Dutch slippen (“to slip”), German Low German slippen.

This word in other languages

deslizarse(Español)glisser(Français)ausrutschen(Deutsch)escorregar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • lsip
  • silp
  • slipp
  • sllip
  • slpi
  • sslip

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of slip - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

lsip2silp2slipp1sllip1slpi2sslip1
Edit distance from "slip"

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 "slip"?
"slip" is spelled S-L-I-P. The IPA pronunciation is /slɪp/.
What does "slip" mean?
As a verb, "slip" means: To lose one’s traction on a slippery surface; to slide due to a lack of friction.
What words are commonly confused with "slip"?
"slip" is commonly confused with "SP", "SNP", "sup". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "slip"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "slip" is /slɪp/. 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 "slip"?
From Middle English slippen, probably from Middle Low German slippen, from Old Saxon *slippian, from Proto-West Germanic *slippjan, from Proto-Germanic *slipjaną (“to glide”), an iterative form of *slīpaną (“to slip, slide”), from Proto-Indo-Europ... 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 "slip", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

pump#4,480odds#4,471nazi#4,469logo#4,465

Similar misspelling depth

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

allies6 variantsLarry6 variantsdawn6 variantsgulf6 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "slip". Here's where to go from here.

  • "slip" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "SP". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #4,488 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list