slippery

/ˈslɪpəɹi/

//ˈslɪpəɹi// adj

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

"slippery" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“slippery” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,860 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#12,860
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of a surface, having low friction, often due to being covered in a non-viscous liquid, and therefore hard to grip, hard to stand on without falling, etc.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

slippery vs slipped
75% similar
slippery vs skipper
75% similar
slippery vs slipper
88% similar

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

Key facts for slippery
PropertyValue
Headwordslippery
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈslɪpəɹi/
Letters8
Frequency rank#12,860
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “slippery” 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). slippery 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 slippery is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈslɪpəɹi/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,860 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for slippery, with forms such as "lsippery", "silppery", and "slipepry". 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. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "slipped", "skipper", "slipper", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English slipperie, an extended form ( + -y) of Middle English slipper, sliper (“slippery”), from Old English slipor (“slippery”), from Proto-Germanic *slipraz (“smooth, slippery”), equivalent to slip + -er. Compare also Middle English slibbri, s… The correct English form is slippery, spelled S-L-I-P-P-E-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of a surface, having low friction, often due to being covered in a non-viscous liquid, and therefore hard to grip, hard to stand on without falling, etc.
  2. 2
    Evasive; difficult to pin down.
  3. 3
    Liable to slip; not standing firm.
  4. 4
    Unstable; changeable; inconstant.
  5. 5
    Wanton; unchaste; loose in morals.

Etymology

From Middle English slipperie, an extended form ( + -y) of Middle English slipper, sliper (“slippery”), from Old English slipor (“slippery”), from Proto-Germanic *slipraz (“smooth, slippery”), equivalent to slip + -er. Compare also Middle English slibbri, slubbri (“slippery”) borrowed from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German slibberich (“slippery”). Cognate with German schlüpfrig (“slippery”), Danish slibrig (“slippery”), Swedish slipprig (“slippery”).

Synonyms

greasyslickslimyslippywetslitheryglibberyglidderglidderylubriclubriciouslubricousslabberyslapeslidderslidderyslideyslidyslipperyslippery as an eel

Antonyms

stickyadhesivenonslipperynonslip

This word in other languages

resbaladizo(Español)glissant(Français)rutschig(Deutsch)liso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lsippery,silppery,slipepry,slipery,slipperry,slipperyy,slippeyr,slipprey,sllippery,slpipery,sslippery

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lsippery2silppery2slipepry2slipery1slipperry1slipperyy1slippeyr2slipprey2
Edit distance from "slippery"

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 "slippery"?
"slippery" is spelled S-L-I-P-P-E-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈslɪpəɹi/.
What does "slippery" mean?
As an adjective, "slippery" means: Of a surface, having low friction, often due to being covered in a non-viscous liquid, and therefore hard to grip, hard to stand on without falling, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "slippery"?
"slippery" is commonly confused with "slipped", "skipper", "slipper". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "slippery"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "slippery" is /ˈslɪpəɹi/. 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 "slippery"?
From Middle English slipperie, an extended form ( + -y) of Middle English slipper, sliper (“slippery”), from Old English slipor (“slippery”), from Proto-Germanic *slipraz (“smooth, slippery”), equivalent to slip + -er. Compare also Middle English ... 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 “slippery”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-L-I-P-P-E-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈslɪpəɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “slipped” - see the side-by-side comparison. slippery vs slipped
  • 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