# clam vs clean

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### clam
*noun · IPA /klæm/ · frequency rank #21,750*
A bivalve mollusk of many kinds, especially those that are edible; for example soft-shell clams (Mya arenaria), hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria), sea clams or hen clams (Spisula solidissima), and other species, possibly originally applied to clams of species Tridacna gigas, a huge East Indian bivalve.

### clean
*adjective · IPA /kliːn/ · frequency rank #1,135*
Free of dirt, filth, or impurities (extraneous matter); not dirty, filthy, or soiled.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clam-vs-clean