slum
/slʌm/noun, verb
slum is spelled S-L-U-M: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 1.8 times per million words in written English, the 20,906th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a derogatory noun, slum means “A dilapidated neighborhood where many people live in a state of poverty” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of slum is slums.
How many letters and syllables are in slum?
| Letters | 4: S-L-U-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.8 times per million words; the 20,906th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is slum?
Slum appears 1.8 times per million words in written English, the 20,906th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce slum?
- /slʌm/
Slum has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-slum.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of slum
- slums plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- slumming participle, present
- slummed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does slum mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
derogatoryA dilapidated neighborhood where many people live in a state of poverty.
I saw that most of those who were spending from eight to fifteen pounds monthly had the advantage of scholarships. I had before me examples of much simpler living. I came across a fair number of poor students living more humbly than I. One
- 2
slangInexpensive trinkets awarded as prizes in a carnival game.
- 3
slangSlumgullion; a meat-based stew.
- 4
UKobsoleteslangNonsense; humbug.
verb
- 1
To visit a neighborhood of a status below one's own.
- 2
UKdatedslangTo saunter about in a disreputable manner.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Slum in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense dilapidated neighborhood:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | bidonville |
| German | Slum, Elendsviertel, Armensiedlung |
| Portuguese | favela, bairro de lata, musseque |
| Spanish | barrio marginal, barrio pobre, barrio bajo, asentamiento, barriada bruja, barriada de emergencia |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does slum come from?
First attested in 1812. Originally slang, in the sense "room", especially "backroom", of unknown origin.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).