Sled, Sledge and Sleigh Are the Same Word Three Times
A sled is a vehicle with runners for snow. English borrowed the word repeatedly from Dutch.
A sled is a vehicle on runners for travelling over snow. *Sled*, *sledge* and *sleigh* all descend from the same Middle Dutch root *sleedse*, borrowed into English at different times and settling into different regions: *sled* and *sleigh* are chiefly American, *sledge* chiefly British. The root is related to *slide*. A *sledgehammer* is unrelated, its first element coming from Old English *slecg*, a heavy hammer, from a verb meaning to strike.
- A snow vehicle. *A wooden sled.*
- Sledge — the British word. *A sledge.*
- Sleigh — a horse-drawn one. *A sleigh.*
- To sled. *Sledding downhill.*
- Middle Dutch — *sleedse*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | sled | A sled. |
| Plural | sleds | Sleds. |
| Variant | sledge | A sledge. |
| Variant | sleigh | A sleigh. |
| Related | slide | To slide. |
- The children rode a sled.Snow.
- A horse-drawn sleigh.Variant.
- A sledgehammer is unrelated.Distinction.
One word borrowed three times
- Sled — borrowed in Middle English, now chiefly American
- Sledge — a later borrowing, chiefly British
- Sleigh — borrowed in America in the 1700s from Dutch settlers
- All three go back to Middle Dutch *sleedse*
- Sledgehammer belongs to a different word entirely
Middle Dutch *sleedse*, related to *slide*; *sledge* and *sleigh* are separate borrowings of the same word.
What is the difference between a sled, a sledge and a sleigh?
Mainly region and size. All three come from the same Dutch word; sled and sleigh are chiefly American, sledge chiefly British.
Is a sledgehammer related?
No. That comes from Old English slecg, a heavy hammer, from a verb meaning to strike.