'Sleigh' is a horse- or reindeer-drawn vehicle for snow; 'slay' means to kill, or in modern slang, to impress or dominate completely.
Noun/verb. A large vehicle on runners for travelling over snow, pulled by horses or reindeer. Also: to ride a sleigh.
The children watched in delight as the sleigh glided silently across the frozen lake.
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way — oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh.
The sleigh was loaded with gifts and pulled by eight reindeer.
Verb. To kill violently (archaic/literary). In modern slang: to perform brilliantly, to dominate impressively ('she slayed that presentation'). Also: to make someone laugh uncontrollably.
The hero had to slay the dragon before the kingdom could be saved.
She absolutely slayed that job interview — she got an offer the same afternoon.
His comedy timing is perfect — he slays every room he performs in.
Common mistake
"Santa's slay was loaded with gifts" when meaning the vehicle (correct: sleigh). Or "She sleighed the performance" when meaning dominated (correct: slayed). Modern slang 'slay' is one of the most viral words of the 2020s.
Trick to remember it
'Sleigh' has EIGH like 'eight' and 'weigh' — Old English weight-related words. Santa's sleigh needs 8 reindeer (eight = EIGH). 'Slay' is short and sharp — a killing blow has no extra letters.
Quick rule
Is it the snow vehicle pulled by animals? 'Sleigh'. Is it the verb to kill or to dominate impressively? 'Slay'.
Did you know?
'Jingle Bells' (1857) by James Lord Pierpont was originally written for Thanksgiving, not Christmas — it celebrates the joy of sleigh racing. 'Slay' in modern slang originated in Black and LGBTQ+ drag culture — 'slaying' meant performing or looking so good it was metaphorically devastating. Beyonce amplified it globally ('Slay, trick, you betta' in 2013), and by 2023 'slay' had been named word of the year by multiple dictionaries and transcended its origins to mainstream youth culture. The original violent sense ('to slay dragons') comes from Old English 'slean' (to strike, to kill).
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The reindeer pulled the _____ across the rooftops without making a sound.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She absolutely _____ ed the pitch — the investors committed within the hour.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Is it the snow vehicle pulled by animals? 'Sleigh'. Is it the verb to kill or to dominate impressively? 'Slay'.
"Santa's slay was loaded with gifts" when meaning the vehicle (correct: sleigh). Or "She sleighed the performance" when meaning dominated (correct: slayed). Modern slang 'slay' is one of the most viral words of the 2020s.
'Sleigh' has EIGH like 'eight' and 'weigh' — Old English weight-related words. Santa's sleigh needs 8 reindeer (eight = EIGH). 'Slay' is short and sharp — a killing blow has no extra letters.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy