# clean vs cleanse

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

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

### cleanse
*verb · IPA /klɛnz/ · frequency rank #15,586*
To free from dirt; to clean, to purify.

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