Small language model (SLM)
Küçük dil modeli (SLM)
D2 · Generative AI, capabilities and limitations
A small language model is a language model described as relatively compact in parameter count and resource needs for its intended use.
Review status: 2026-12-05
Technical explanation
Small-model reports describe different sizes; this glossary therefore uses no fixed parameter cutoff.
Conceptual boundaries
Model size and execution location are different properties: a small model need not run on a user’s device.
Provider-neutral example
Illustrative: a team evaluates a compact model for classifying short requests within its memory budget.
Limitations
Small does not establish fitness for a task; compare quality and resource use in the intended setting.
Related concepts
Atomic claims and evidence
1.1Phi-3 Technical Report: A Highly Capable Language Model Locally on Your Phone
- Source
- Phi-3 Technical Report: A Highly Capable Language Model Locally on Your Phone
- Source role
- Authoritative source
- Exact locator
- Abstract: 3.8B phi-3-mini, phone deployment, and 7B phi-3-small
- Supported claim
- Phi-3 reports a 3.8B mini model and a 7B model named small; SmolLM2 describes a 1.7B small language model.
- Last verification
- Review due
- Scope limitation
- These examples illustrate differing size conventions, not a formal size standard.
1.2SmolLM2: When Smol Goes Big — Data-Centric Training of a Small Language Model
- Source
- SmolLM2: When Smol Goes Big — Data-Centric Training of a Small Language Model
- Source role
- Authoritative source
- Exact locator
- Abstract: 1.7B small language model and data-centric training
- Supported claim
- Phi-3 reports a 3.8B mini model and a 7B model named small; SmolLM2 describes a 1.7B small language model.
- Last verification
- Review due
- Scope limitation
- These examples illustrate differing size conventions, not a formal size standard.