Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

schlep

/ʃlɛp/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.95 in modern English

Syllables
schlep
IPA
/ʃlɛp/
13
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
1
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To carry, drag, or lug.

Informal; Slang; Transitive verb

verb

To go, as on an errand; to carry out a task.

Informal; Intransitive verb; Slang

verb

To act in a slovenly, lazy, or sloppy manner.

Informal; Intransitive verb; Slang

noun

A long or burdensome journey.

Informal; Slang

noun

A boring person, a drag; a good-for-nothing person.

Informal; Slang

noun

A sloppy or slovenly person.

Informal; Slang

noun

A “pull” or influence.

Informal; Slang

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Yiddish שלעפּן (shlepn, “to drag”), from Middle High German slepen, from Middle Low German slêpen, from or related to Old High German sleifen (“to drag”) and slifan (“to slip”), from Proto-West Germanic *sleupan. Compare German schleppen (“to haul”) and its inherited doublet schleifen (“to drag”), Dutch slepen (“to drag”), Danish slæbe (“to haul”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: שלעפּן, slepen, slêpen, sleifen, *sleupan

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Synonyms

Homonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce schlep?
The recorded pronunciation is /ʃlɛp/.
What does schlep mean?
To carry, drag, or lug.
Where does schlep come from?
It is traced to Yiddish.

How to pronounce schlep

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “schlep”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ʃlɛp/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “schlep”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “schlep” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.