Slight<\/em> is a homophone of sleight<\/em>, and feels like it makes sense in this idiom, but sleight of hand<\/em> is the correct form<\/a> when referring to a cleverly executed trick. Sleight<\/em> means \"deceitful craftiness\" or \"stratagem,\" and slight<\/em> means \"having a slim or delicate build\"; a slim person is sometimes described as being \"slight of build.\"<\/p>" }
}, {
"@type": "Question",
"name": "What is the difference between 'sleight' and 'slight'?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": " Slight<\/em> is the far more common word. In modern use it can be a verb meaning \"to offend or insult someone\" (as in \"slighted by a rude colleague\"), or a noun closely related to that verb (\"the colleague's remark could only be seen as a slight\"), or it can be an adjective describing people and things that are slim, frail, small, or trivial (\"a slight figure,\" \"a slight chance,\" \"a slight movie\"). Sleight<\/em> is a noun that can refer either to a deceitful kind of craftiness, or to skill and dexterity. It is typically found in the phrase \"sleight of hand,\" or variations on that phrase (as in \"sleight of pen\").<\/p>" }
}, {
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Is the correct phrase 'sleight chance' or 'slight chance'?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": " Slight chance<\/em>: slight<\/em> in this case means \"small.\" If rain is possible but not very likely on a given day, there's a slight chance of rain. If you buy only one of 500 raffle tickets sold, you have a slight chance of winning. <\/p>" }
}, {
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Is it 'slight' or 'sleight' of hand?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": " Slight<\/em> is a homophone of sleight<\/em>, and feels like it makes sense in this idiom, but sleight of hand<\/em> is the correct form<\/a> when referring to a cleverly executed trick. Sleight<\/em> means \"deceitful craftiness\" or \"stratagem,\" and slight<\/em> means \"having a slim or delicate build\"; a slim person is sometimes described as being \"slight of build.\"<\/p>" }
}, {
"@type": "Question",
"name": "What is the difference between 'sleight' and 'slight'?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": " Slight<\/em> is the far more common word. In modern use it can be a verb meaning \"to offend or insult someone\" (as in \"slighted by a rude colleague\"), or a noun closely related to that verb (\"the colleague's remark could only be seen as a slight\"), or it can be an adjective describing people and things that are slim, frail, small, or trivial (\"a slight figure,\" \"a slight chance,\" \"a slight movie\"). Sleight<\/em> is a noun that can refer either to a deceitful kind of craftiness, or to skill and dexterity. It is typically found in the phrase \"sleight of hand,\" or variations on that phrase (as in \"sleight of pen\").<\/p>" }
}, {
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Is the correct phrase 'sleight chance' or 'slight chance'?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": " Slight chance<\/em>: slight<\/em> in this case means \"small.\" If rain is possible but not very likely on a given day, there's a slight chance of rain. If you buy only one of 500 raffle tickets sold, you have a slight chance of winning. <\/p>" }
}, {
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Is it 'slight' or 'sleight' of hand?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": " Slight<\/em> is a homophone of sleight<\/em>, and feels like it makes sense in this idiom, but sleight of hand<\/em> is the correct form<\/a> when referring to a cleverly executed trick. Sleight<\/em> means \"deceitful craftiness\" or \"stratagem,\" and slight<\/em> means \"having a slim or delicate build\"; a slim person is sometimes described as being \"slight of build.\"<\/p>" }
}, {
"@type": "Question",
"name": "What is the difference between 'sleight' and 'slight'?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": " Slight<\/em> is the far more common word. In modern use it can be a verb meaning \"to offend or insult someone\" (as in \"slighted by a rude colleague\"), or a noun closely related to that verb (\"the colleague's remark could only be seen as a slight\"), or it can be an adjective describing people and things that are slim, frail, small, or trivial (\"a slight figure,\" \"a slight chance,\" \"a slight movie\"). Sleight<\/em> is a noun that can refer either to a deceitful kind of craftiness, or to skill and dexterity. It is typically found in the phrase \"sleight of hand,\" or variations on that phrase (as in \"sleight of pen\").<\/p>" }
}, {
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Is the correct phrase 'sleight chance' or 'slight chance'?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": " Slight chance<\/em>: slight<\/em> in this case means \"small.\" If rain is possible but not very likely on a given day, there's a slight chance of rain. If you buy only one of 500 raffle tickets sold, you have a slight chance of winning. <\/p>" }
} ]
}
More from Merriam-Webster