slump

Name: slump, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/slʌmp/

//slʌmp// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“slump” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,187 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#18,187
frequency rank, English: 5
letters: 8
tracked misspellings: 20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To collapse heavily or helplessly.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

slump vs sum

60% similar

slump vs sup

60% similar

slump vs SMP

0% similar

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

Key facts for slump
Property	Value
Headword	slump
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/slʌmp/
Letters	5
Frequency rank	#18,187
Misspellings tracked	8
Confusable pairs	20
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “slump” 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). slump lands here:

#18,187

#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 slump is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /slʌmp/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,187 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 slump, with forms such as "lsump", "sllump", and "slmup". 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, "sum", "sup", "SMP", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Probably of North Germanic origin: compare Danish slumpe (“to stumble upon by chance”), Norwegian slumpe (“happen by chance”), Norwegian slumpa (“happen by chance”), Swedish slumpa (“randomize; to sell off”), Swedish slump (“chance, randomness, happenstance… The correct English form is slump, spelled S-L-U-M-P.

Definition

1
To collapse heavily or helplessly.
2
To decline or fall off in activity or performance.
3
To slouch or droop.
4
To lump; to throw together messily.
5
To fall or sink suddenly through or in, when walking on a surface, as on thawing snow or ice, a bog, etc.
6
To cause to collapse; to hit hard; to render unconscious; to kill.

Etymology

Probably of North Germanic origin: compare Danish slumpe (“to stumble upon by chance”), Norwegian slumpe (“happen by chance”), Norwegian slumpa (“happen by chance”), Swedish slumpa (“randomize; to sell off”), Swedish slump (“chance, randomness, happenstance”). Compare also German schlumpen (“to trail; draggle; be sloppy”), dialectal Dutch slompen (“to walk clumsily”).

This word in other languages

desfallecer(Español)s'affaler(Français)absinken(Deutsch)despencar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lsump,sllump,slmup,slummp,slumpp,slupm,sslump,sulmp

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "slump"

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 "slump"?

"slump" is spelled S-L-U-M-P. The IPA pronunciation is /slʌmp/.

What does "slump" mean?

As a verb, "slump" means: To collapse heavily or helplessly.

What words are commonly confused with "slump"?

"slump" is commonly confused with "sum", "sup", "SMP". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "slump"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "slump" is /slʌmp/. 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 "slump"?

Probably of North Germanic origin: compare Danish slumpe (“to stumble upon by chance”), Norwegian slumpe (“happen by chance”), Norwegian slumpa (“happen by chance”), Swedish slumpa (“randomize; to sell off”), Swedish slump (“chance, randomness, ha... 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 “slump”

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

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