sluice

/sluːs/

//sluːs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“sluice” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #45,666 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#45,666
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An artificial passage for water, fitted with a valve or gate, for example in a canal lock or a mill stream, for stopping or regulating the flow.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

sluice vs suite
67% similar
sluice vs spice
67% similar
sluice vs source
67% similar

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

Key facts for sluice
PropertyValue
Headwordsluice
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/sluːs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#45,666
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sluice” 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). sluice 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 sluice is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /sluːs/. Corpus data places it at rank #45,666 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 sluice, with forms such as "lsuice", "sliuce", and "slluice". 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 12 confusable-pair relationships, "suite", "spice", "source", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English sluse, alteration of scluse, from Anglo-Norman escluse (“sluice, floodgate”), from Late Latin exclusa (“extrusion, gate”), from Latin exclūsus, form of exclūdō (“I shut out, I exclude”) (English exclude). Cognate to Dutch sluis. The correct English form is sluice, spelled S-L-U-I-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An artificial passage for water, fitted with a valve or gate, for example in a canal lock or a mill stream, for stopping or regulating the flow.
  2. 2
    A water gate or floodgate.
  3. 3
    Hence, an opening or channel through which anything flows; a source of supply.
  4. 4
    The stream flowing through a floodgate.
  5. 5
    A long box or trough through which water flows, used for washing auriferous earth.
  6. 6
    An instance of wh-stranding ellipsis, or sluicing.

Etymology

From Middle English sluse, alteration of scluse, from Anglo-Norman escluse (“sluice, floodgate”), from Late Latin exclusa (“extrusion, gate”), from Latin exclūsus, form of exclūdō (“I shut out, I exclude”) (English exclude). Cognate to Dutch sluis.

This word in other languages

esclusa(Español)écluse(Français)Schleuse(Deutsch)eclusa(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lsuice,sliuce,slluice,slucie,sluicce,sluiec,ssluice,sulice

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lsuice2sliuce2slluice1slucie2sluicce1sluiec2ssluice1sulice2
Edit distance from "sluice"

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 "sluice"?
"sluice" is spelled S-L-U-I-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /sluːs/.
What does "sluice" mean?
As a noun, "sluice" means: An artificial passage for water, fitted with a valve or gate, for example in a canal lock or a mill stream, for stopping or regulating the flow.
What words are commonly confused with "sluice"?
"sluice" is commonly confused with "suite", "spice", "source". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sluice"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sluice" is /sluːs/. 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 "sluice"?
From Middle English sluse, alteration of scluse, from Anglo-Norman escluse (“sluice, floodgate”), from Late Latin exclusa (“extrusion, gate”), from Latin exclūsus, form of exclūdō (“I shut out, I exclude”) (English exclude). Cognate to Dutch sluis. 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 “sluice”

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

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