slovenly

/ˈslʌv.ən.li/

//ˈslʌv.ən.li// adj

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

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

The verdict

“slovenly” is uncommon English (frequency #74,517 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#74,517
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Having an untidy appearance; unkempt.

Key facts for slovenly
PropertyValue
Headwordslovenly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈslʌv.ən.li/
Letters8
Frequency rank#74,517
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “slovenly” 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). slovenly lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

slovenly is uncommon English at frequency #74,517 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈslʌv.ən.li/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for slovenly in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From sloven + -ly. The correct English form is slovenly, spelled S-L-O-V-E-N-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having an untidy appearance; unkempt.
  2. 2
    Dirty, unwashed; disorderly.
  3. 3
    Careless or negligent; sloppy.

Etymology

From sloven + -ly.

This word in other languages

dejado(Español)négligé(Français)nachlässig(Deutsch)porco(Português)

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 "slovenly"?
"slovenly" is spelled S-L-O-V-E-N-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈslʌv.ən.li/.
What does "slovenly" mean?
As an adjective, "slovenly" means: Having an untidy appearance; unkempt.
How do you pronounce "slovenly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "slovenly" is /ˈslʌv.ən.li/. 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 "slovenly"?
From sloven + -ly. 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 “slovenly”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-L-O-V-E-N-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈslʌv.ən.li/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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