Which to use
“cleave” is a verb and “cleve” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #34,831
- “cleave” frequency rank
- #47,535
- “cleve” frequency rank
- 82366
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | cleave | cleve |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To split or sever something with, or as if with, a sharp instrument. | A room; chamber. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set cleave and cleve apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: cleave is averb and cleveanoun. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 82366, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
cleave is recorded at frequency rank #34,831, classified as averb, pronounced /kliːv/. cleve is at rank #47,535, tagged as anoun.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 82366, this pair ranks #15,838 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of cleave vs cleve
Shared letters: celv. Private to "cleave": a. Private to "cleve": -.
"cleave" · 6 letters · shape CCVVCV · "cleve" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "cleave" and "cleve" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "cleave" or "cleve"?
Remembering cleave vs cleve
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “cleave”; for a noun, it's “cleve”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “cleave” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable