sliver

/ˈslɪv.ə(ɹ)/

//ˈslɪv.ə(ɹ)// noun

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

"sliver" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sliver” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #29,466 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#29,466
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

sliver vs spider
67% similar
sliver vs slower
67% similar
sliver vs sniper
67% similar

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

Key facts for sliver
PropertyValue
Headwordsliver
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈslɪv.ə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#29,466
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sliver” 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). sliver 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 sliver is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈslɪv.ə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #29,466 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for sliver, with forms such as "lsiver", "slievr", and "sliverr". 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, "spider", "slower", "sniper", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English slivere, sliver from Middle English sliven (“to cut, cleave, split”), from Old English slīfan (as in tōslīfan (“to split, split up”)). The correct English form is sliver, spelled S-L-I-V-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment.
  2. 2
    A long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment.
  3. 3
    A strand, or slender roll, of cotton or other fiber in a loose, untwisted state, produced by a carding machine and ready for the roving or slubbing which precedes spinning.
  4. 4
    Bait made of pieces of small fish.
  5. 5
    A narrow high-rise apartment building.
  6. 6
    A small amount of something; a drop in the bucket; a shred.

Etymology

From Middle English slivere, sliver from Middle English sliven (“to cut, cleave, split”), from Old English slīfan (as in tōslīfan (“to split, split up”)).

This word in other languages

astilla(Español)écharde(Français)Splitter(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lsiver,slievr,sliverr,slivre,slivver,slliver,slvier,ssliver

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lsiver2slievr2sliverr1slivre2slivver1slliver1slvier2ssliver1
Edit distance from "sliver"

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 "sliver"?
"sliver" is spelled S-L-I-V-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈslɪv.ə(ɹ)/.
What does "sliver" mean?
As a noun, "sliver" means: A long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment.
What words are commonly confused with "sliver"?
"sliver" is commonly confused with "spider", "slower", "sniper". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sliver"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sliver" is /ˈslɪv.ə(ɹ)/. 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 "sliver"?
From Middle English slivere, sliver from Middle English sliven (“to cut, cleave, split”), from Old English slīfan (as in tōslīfan (“to split, split up”)). 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 “sliver”

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

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