acclaim

/əˈkleɪm/

//əˈkleɪm// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"acclaim" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“acclaim” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #19,749 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#19,749
frequency rank, English
7
letters
8
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To shout; to call out.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

acclaim vs acclaimed
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for acclaim
PropertyValue
Headwordacclaim
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈkleɪm/
Letters7
Frequency rank#19,749
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “acclaim” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). acclaim lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for acclaim is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈkleɪm/. Corpus data places it at rank #19,749 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for acclaim, with forms such as "accalim", "acclaimm", and "acclami". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "acclaimed", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: * First attested in the early 14th century. * (to applaud): First attested in the 1630s. * Borrowed from Latin acclāmō (“raise a cry at; applaud”), formed from ad- + clāmō (“cry out, shout”). The correct English form is acclaim, spelled A-C-C-L-A-I-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    To shout; to call out.
  2. 2
    To express great approval (for).
  3. 3
    To salute or praise with great approval; to compliment; to applaud; to welcome enthusiastically.
  4. 4
    To claim.
  5. 5
    To declare by acclamations.
  6. 6
    To elect (a politician, etc.) to an office automatically because no other candidates run; elect by acclamation.

Etymology

* First attested in the early 14th century. * (to applaud): First attested in the 1630s. * Borrowed from Latin acclāmō (“raise a cry at; applaud”), formed from ad- + clāmō (“cry out, shout”).

This word in other languages

gritar(Español)acclamer(Français)zujubeln(Deutsch)aclamar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: accalim,acclaimm,acclami,accliam,accllaim,aclaim,aclcaim,caclaim

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of acclaim - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

accalim2acclaimm1acclami2accliam2accllaim1aclaim1aclcaim2caclaim2
Edit distance from "acclaim"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "acclaim"?
"acclaim" is spelled A-C-C-L-A-I-M. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈkleɪm/.
What does "acclaim" mean?
As a verb, "acclaim" means: To shout; to call out.
What words are commonly confused with "acclaim"?
"acclaim" is commonly confused with "acclaimed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "acclaim"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "acclaim" is /əˈkleɪm/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "acclaim"?
* First attested in the early 14th century. * (to applaud): First attested in the 1630s. * Borrowed from Latin acclāmō (“raise a cry at; applaud”), formed from ad- + clāmō (“cry out, shout”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “acclaim”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-C-C-L-A-I-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈkleɪm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “acclaimed” - see the side-by-side comparison. acclaim vs acclaimed
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list