chlorine

/ˈklɔɹin/

//ˈklɔɹin// noun

"chlorine" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“chlorine” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,433. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,433
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A toxic, green, gaseous chemical element (symbol Cl) with an atomic number of 17.

Corpus desk

Index EN-chlorine · chlorine · English

chlorine · rank #16,433 · 12 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,433
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH chaplain

Nearest frequency peer: chaplain (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “chlorine”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “chlorine” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

chlorine vs coloring
75% similar
chlorine vs calorie
75% similar
chlorine vs chloride
88% similar

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

Key facts for chlorine
PropertyValue
Headwordchlorine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈklɔɹin/
Letters8
Frequency rank#16,433
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “chlorine”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “chaplain” (#16,432), “chow” (#16,434), “chubby” (#16,435). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “chlorine” is #16,433. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around chlorine (IPA /ˈklɔɹin/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,433 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for chlorine, with forms such as "cchlorine", "chhlorine", and "chllorine". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "coloring", "calorie", "chloride", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Coined by British chemist Humphry Davy in 1810 from Ancient Greek χλωρός (khlōrós, “pale green”) + -ine. The correct English form is chlorine, spelled C-H-L-O-R-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A toxic, green, gaseous chemical element (symbol Cl) with an atomic number of 17.
  2. 2
    A single atom of this element.
  3. 3
    A chlorine-based bleach or disinfectant.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how chlorine appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. When TCCA touches a small amount of water and doesn’t dissolve, “it can experience a chemical reaction, generating heat and causing the decomposition of the chemical, which in turn produces toxic chlorine gas and can produce explosive nitrogen trichloride,” a 2023 report by the CSB said.
  2. The mechanism involved in the explosive reaction between swimming pool chlorine (calcium hypochlorite) and brake fluid (polyethylene glycol), a possible improvised explosive mixture, has been studied by means of the gaseous products produced.

Etymology

Coined by British chemist Humphry Davy in 1810 from Ancient Greek χλωρός (khlōrós, “pale green”) + -ine.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cchlorine
  • chhlorine
  • chllorine
  • chloirne
  • chlorien
  • chlorinne
  • chlornie
  • chlorrine
  • chlroine
  • cholrine
  • clhorine
  • hclorine

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of chlorine - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

cchlorine1chhlorine1chllorine1chloirne2chlorien2chlorinne1chlornie2chlorrine1
Edit distance from "chlorine"

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 "chlorine"?
"chlorine" is spelled C-H-L-O-R-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈklɔɹin/.
What does "chlorine" mean?
As a noun, "chlorine" means: A toxic, green, gaseous chemical element (symbol Cl) with an atomic number of 17.
What words are commonly confused with "chlorine"?
"chlorine" is commonly confused with "coloring", "calorie", "chloride". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "chlorine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chlorine" is /ˈklɔɹin/. 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 "chlorine"?
Coined by British chemist Humphry Davy in 1810 from Ancient Greek χλωρός (khlōrós, “pale green”) + -ine. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "chlorine", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list