Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sleight

/slaɪt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.75 in modern English

Syllables: sleight
IPA: /slaɪt/

11

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

1

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Cunning; craft; artful practice.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

An artful trick; sly artifice; a feat so dexterous that the manner of performance escapes observation.

Countable

noun

Dexterous practice; dexterity; skill.

Countable; Uncountable

name

Example Sentences

"If men have so many sleights to compass their matters, how can the compasser himself hold his fingers?"

Etymology

From Middle English sleighte, sleyght, sleythe, from Old Norse slœgð (“cunning”), from Proto-Germanic *slōgiþō, from *slōgiz (“cunning”) (whence English sly). Doublet of sly and slöjd/sloyd.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: sleighte, slœgð, *slōgiþō

Usage

Inflected Forms

sleights (plural)

Derived Forms

sleightful

Phrases

sleight of hand

Frequently Paired Words

sleight of hand sleightly sleighty

Synonyms

dexterity manual dexterity

Homonyms

slight slite

Rhymes With

right might night white light quite fight site non-white write tonight despite

Questions

How do you pronounce sleight?: The recorded pronunciation is /slaɪt/.
What does sleight mean?: Cunning; craft; artful practice.
Where does sleight come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce sleight

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