slow

/sləʊ/

//sləʊ// adj

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

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

The verdict

“slow” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,504 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,504
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Taking a long time to move or go a short distance, or to perform an action; not quick in motion; proceeding at a low speed.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

slow vs so
50% similar
slow vs SW
0% similar
slow vs son
50% similar

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

Key facts for slow
PropertyValue
Headwordslow
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/sləʊ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#1,504
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “slow” 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). slow 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 slow is 4 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /sləʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,504 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for slow, with forms such as "lsow", "sllow", and "sloww". 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, "so", "SW", "son", 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 slow, slaw, from Old English slāw (“sluggish, inert, slothful, late, tardy, torpid, slow”), from Proto-West Germanic *slaiw, from Proto-Germanic *slaiwaz (“blunt, dull, faint, weak, slack”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *sleyH-u- (“… The correct English form is slow, spelled S-L-O-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    Taking a long time to move or go a short distance, or to perform an action; not quick in motion; proceeding at a low speed.
  2. 2
    Not happening in a short time; spread over a comparatively long time.
  3. 3
    Of reduced intellectual capacity; not quick to comprehend.
  4. 4
    Not hasty; not tending to hurry; acting with deliberation or caution.
  5. 5
    Behind in time; indicating a time earlier than the true time.
  6. 6
    Lacking spirit; deficient in liveliness or briskness.
  7. 7
    Not busy; lacking activity.

Etymology

From Middle English slow, slaw, from Old English slāw (“sluggish, inert, slothful, late, tardy, torpid, slow”), from Proto-West Germanic *slaiw, from Proto-Germanic *slaiwaz (“blunt, dull, faint, weak, slack”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *sleyH-u- (“bad”). Cognate with Scots slaw (“slow”), West Frisian sleau (“slow, dull, lazy”), Dutch sleeuw (“blunt, dull”), Low German slee (“dull, sluggish”), German schlehe, schleh (“dull, exhausted, faint”), Danish sløv (“dull, torpid, drowsy”), Swedish slö (“slack, lazy”), Icelandic sljór (“dim-witted, slow”).

Synonyms

deliberatemoderategradualgradualdull-wittedstupidcarefuldeliberateprudentcautiousboringdilatorydullinactivetardyslothfulsluggishboringquietunbusycrawlinglanguidlanguorousdraggycreepingdreichgastropodousglacialheavy-footedinchinginertlaboredleadenlead-footedlethargiclow-speedlumberingploddingpokeyponderousslothlikeslowslow as a snailslow as Christmasslow as molassesslow as molasses in Januaryslowfootedstatelysteadysubglacialsullentardigradetedioustestudineoustorpidunspeedy

Antonyms

fastquickrapidswiftspeedyabruptsuddenkeenquick-wittedintelligenthastyprecipitatepromptaccuratefastbrisklivelyactivehectic

This word in other languages

lento(Español)lent(Français)langsam(Deutsch)lento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lsow,sllow,sloww,slwo,solw,sslow

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lsow2sllow1sloww1slwo2solw2sslow1
Edit distance from "slow"

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 "slow"?
"slow" is spelled S-L-O-W. The IPA pronunciation is /sləʊ/.
What does "slow" mean?
As an adjective, "slow" means: Taking a long time to move or go a short distance, or to perform an action; not quick in motion; proceeding at a low speed.
What words are commonly confused with "slow"?
"slow" is commonly confused with "so", "SW", "son". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "slow"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "slow" is /sləʊ/. 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 "slow"?
From Middle English slow, slaw, from Old English slāw (“sluggish, inert, slothful, late, tardy, torpid, slow”), from Proto-West Germanic *slaiw, from Proto-Germanic *slaiwaz (“blunt, dull, faint, weak, slack”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *s... 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 “slow”

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

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