clam

/klæm/

//klæm// noun

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

"clam" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“clam” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,750. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,750
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - 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...

Corpus desk

Index EN-clam · clam · English

clam · rank #21,750 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #21,750
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH chronology

Nearest frequency peer: chronology (-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 “clam”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “clam” 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).

clam vs CM
0% similar
clam vs cum
50% similar
clam vs CPA
0% similar

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

Key facts for clam
PropertyValue
Headwordclam
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/klæm/
Letters4
Frequency rank#21,750
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “clam”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “chronology” (#21,749), “clientele” (#21,751), “choral” (#21,748). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “clam” is #21,750. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around clam (IPA /klæm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #21,750 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for clam, with forms such as "cclam", "clamm", and "cllam". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CM", "cum", "CPA", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English clam (“pincers, vice, clamp”), from Old English clam (“bond, fetter, grip, grasp”), from Proto-West Germanic *klammjan (“press, squeeze together”). The sense “dollar” may allude to wampum. The sense "Scientologist" alludes to the Sciento… The correct English form is clam, spelled C-L-A-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    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.
  2. 2
    A type of strong pincers or forceps.
  3. 3
    A kind of vise, usually of wood.
  4. 4
    A dollar.
  5. 5
    A Scientologist.
  6. 6
    A vagina or vulva.
  7. 7
    A wrong or misplaced note.
  8. 8
    One who clams up; a taciturn person, one who refuses to speak.
  9. 9
    mouth (Now found mostly in the expression shut one's clam)

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. My hopes wa'n't disappointed. I never saw clams thicker than they was along them inshore flats. I filled my dreener in no time, and then it come to me that 'twouldn't be a bad idee to get a lot more, take 'em with me to Wellmouth, and peddle 'em out. Clams was fairly scarce over that side of the bay and ought to fetch a fair price.
  2. Long as I have my clams I don't give a damn about revolution / Long as I have my rice I don't have to think twice about a solution

Etymology

From Middle English clam (“pincers, vice, clamp”), from Old English clam (“bond, fetter, grip, grasp”), from Proto-West Germanic *klammjan (“press, squeeze together”). The sense “dollar” may allude to wampum. The sense "Scientologist" alludes to the Scientologist belief that human thetans (souls) previously inhabited clams.

This word in other languages

almeja(Español)palourde(Français)Muschel(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cclam
  • clamm
  • cllam
  • clma
  • lcam

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of clam - 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.

cclam1clamm1cllam1clma2lcam2
Edit distance from "clam"

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 "clam"?
"clam" is spelled C-L-A-M. The IPA pronunciation is /klæm/.
What does "clam" mean?
As a noun, "clam" means: 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...
What words are commonly confused with "clam"?
"clam" is commonly confused with "CM", "cum", "CPA". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "clam"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clam" is /klæm/. 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 "clam"?
From Middle English clam (“pincers, vice, clamp”), from Old English clam (“bond, fetter, grip, grasp”), from Proto-West Germanic *klammjan (“press, squeeze together”). The sense “dollar” may allude to wampum. The sense "Scientologist" alludes to t... 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 "clam", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Ctrl#21,768fuji#21,803vape#21,696gage#21,805

Similar misspelling depth

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

kiddo5 variantslear5 variantsSega5 variantsploy5 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list