diff --git a/query-grammar/src/query_grammar.rs b/query-grammar/src/query_grammar.rs
index 31b5230da2..e6bbfd6593 100644
--- a/query-grammar/src/query_grammar.rs
+++ b/query-grammar/src/query_grammar.rs
@@ -124,35 +124,31 @@ fn term_val<'a>() -> impl Parser<&'a str, Output = String> {
 }
 
 fn term_query<'a>() -> impl Parser<&'a str, Output = UserInputLiteral> {
-    (field_name(), term_val(), matching_distance_val()).map(
-        |(field_name, phrase, matching_distance)| UserInputLiteral {
-            field_name: Some(field_name),
-            phrase,
-            matching_distance,
-        },
-    )
+    (field_name(), term_val(), slop_val()).map(|(field_name, phrase, slop)| UserInputLiteral {
+        field_name: Some(field_name),
+        phrase,
+        slop,
+    })
 }
 
-fn matching_distance_val<'a>() -> impl Parser<&'a str, Output = u32> {
-    let matching_distance = (char('~'), many1(digit())).and_then(|(_, distance): (_, String)| {
-        match distance.parse::<u32>() {
+fn slop_val<'a>() -> impl Parser<&'a str, Output = u32> {
+    let slop =
+        (char('~'), many1(digit())).and_then(|(_, slop): (_, String)| match slop.parse::<u32>() {
             Ok(d) => Ok(d),
             _ => Err(StringStreamError::UnexpectedParse),
-        }
-    });
-    optional(matching_distance).map(|distance| match distance {
+        });
+    optional(slop).map(|slop| match slop {
         Some(d) => d,
         _ => 0,
     })
 }
 
 fn literal<'a>() -> impl Parser<&'a str, Output = UserInputLeaf> {
-    let term_default_field =
-        (term_val(), matching_distance_val()).map(|(phrase, matching_distance)| UserInputLiteral {
-            field_name: None,
-            phrase,
-            matching_distance,
-        });
+    let term_default_field = (term_val(), slop_val()).map(|(phrase, slop)| UserInputLiteral {
+        field_name: None,
+        phrase,
+        slop,
+    });
 
     attempt(term_query())
         .or(term_default_field)
@@ -737,7 +733,7 @@ mod test {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn test_matching_distance() {
+    fn test_slop() {
         assert!(parse_to_ast().parse("\"a b\"~").is_err());
         assert!(parse_to_ast().parse("foo:\"a b\"~").is_err());
         assert!(parse_to_ast().parse("\"a b\"^2~4").is_err());
diff --git a/query-grammar/src/user_input_ast.rs b/query-grammar/src/user_input_ast.rs
index b2b1e5ba96..3130ddbbe6 100644
--- a/query-grammar/src/user_input_ast.rs
+++ b/query-grammar/src/user_input_ast.rs
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ impl Debug for UserInputLeaf {
 pub struct UserInputLiteral {
     pub field_name: Option<String>,
     pub phrase: String,
-    pub matching_distance: u32,
+    pub slop: u32,
 }
 
 impl fmt::Debug for UserInputLiteral {
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ impl fmt::Debug for UserInputLiteral {
             write!(formatter, "\"{}\":", field)?;
         }
         write!(formatter, "\"{}\"", self.phrase)?;
-        if self.matching_distance > 0 {
-            write!(formatter, "~{}", self.matching_distance)?;
+        if self.slop > 0 {
+            write!(formatter, "~{}", self.slop)?;
         }
         Ok(())
     }
diff --git a/src/query/query_parser/logical_ast.rs b/src/query/query_parser/logical_ast.rs
index bade14a41b..2eb75e675a 100644
--- a/src/query/query_parser/logical_ast.rs
+++ b/src/query/query_parser/logical_ast.rs
@@ -74,10 +74,10 @@ impl fmt::Debug for LogicalLiteral {
     fn fmt(&self, formatter: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> Result<(), fmt::Error> {
         match *self {
             LogicalLiteral::Term(ref term) => write!(formatter, "{:?}", term),
-            LogicalLiteral::Phrase(ref terms, distance) => {
+            LogicalLiteral::Phrase(ref terms, slop) => {
                 write!(formatter, "\"{:?}\"", terms)?;
-                if distance > 0 {
-                    write!(formatter, "~{:?}", distance)
+                if slop > 0 {
+                    write!(formatter, "~{:?}", slop)
                 } else {
                     Ok(())
                 }
diff --git a/src/query/query_parser/query_parser.rs b/src/query/query_parser/query_parser.rs
index a120049d0e..281d964be7 100644
--- a/src/query/query_parser/query_parser.rs
+++ b/src/query/query_parser/query_parser.rs
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ fn trim_ast(logical_ast: LogicalAst) -> Option<LogicalAst> {
 /// (See [`set_boost(...)`](#method.set_field_boost) ). Typically you may want to boost a title
 /// field.
 ///
-/// Phrase terms support the `~` distance operator which allows to set the phrase's matching
+/// Phrase terms support the `~` slop operator which allows to set the phrase's matching
 /// distance in words. `"big wolf"~1 will return documents containing the phrase `"big bad wolf"`.
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct QueryParser {
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ impl QueryParser {
         field: Field,
         json_path: &str,
         phrase: &str,
-        matching_distance: u32,
+        slop: u32,
     ) -> Result<Vec<LogicalLiteral>, QueryParserError> {
         let field_entry = self.schema.get_field_entry(field);
         let field_type = field_entry.field_type();
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ impl QueryParser {
                     field_name,
                     field,
                     phrase,
-                    matching_distance,
+                    slop,
                     &text_analyzer,
                     index_record_option,
                 )?
@@ -631,12 +631,9 @@ impl QueryParser {
                     self.compute_path_triplets_for_literal(&literal)?;
                 let mut asts: Vec<LogicalAst> = Vec::new();
                 for (field, json_path, phrase) in term_phrases {
-                    for ast in self.compute_logical_ast_for_leaf(
-                        field,
-                        json_path,
-                        phrase,
-                        literal.matching_distance,
-                    )? {
+                    for ast in
+                        self.compute_logical_ast_for_leaf(field, json_path, phrase, literal.slop)?
+                    {
                         // Apply some field specific boost defined at the query parser level.
                         let boost = self.field_boost(field);
                         asts.push(LogicalAst::Leaf(Box::new(ast)).boost(boost));
@@ -680,8 +677,8 @@ impl QueryParser {
 fn convert_literal_to_query(logical_literal: LogicalLiteral) -> Box<dyn Query> {
     match logical_literal {
         LogicalLiteral::Term(term) => Box::new(TermQuery::new(term, IndexRecordOption::WithFreqs)),
-        LogicalLiteral::Phrase(term_with_offsets, distance) => Box::new(
-            PhraseQuery::new_with_offset_and_slop(term_with_offsets, distance),
+        LogicalLiteral::Phrase(term_with_offsets, slop) => Box::new(
+            PhraseQuery::new_with_offset_and_slop(term_with_offsets, slop),
         ),
         LogicalLiteral::Range {
             field,
@@ -699,7 +696,7 @@ fn generate_literals_for_str(
     field_name: &str,
     field: Field,
     phrase: &str,
-    matching_distance: u32,
+    slop: u32,
     text_analyzer: &TextAnalyzer,
     index_record_option: IndexRecordOption,
 ) -> Result<Option<LogicalLiteral>, QueryParserError> {
@@ -721,7 +718,7 @@ fn generate_literals_for_str(
             field_name.to_string(),
         ));
     }
-    Ok(Some(LogicalLiteral::Phrase(terms, matching_distance)))
+    Ok(Some(LogicalLiteral::Phrase(terms, slop)))
 }
 
 fn generate_literals_for_json_object(
@@ -1506,7 +1503,7 @@ mod test {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    pub fn test_phrase_matching_distance() {
+    pub fn test_phrase_slop() {
         test_parse_query_to_logical_ast_helper(
             "\"a b\"~2",
             r#"("[(0, Term(type=Str, field=0, "a")), (1, Term(type=Str, field=0, "b"))]"~2 "[(0, Term(type=Str, field=1, "a")), (1, Term(type=Str, field=1, "b"))]"~2)"#,