clan

/klæn/

//klæn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“clan” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,429 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,429
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A group of people all descended from a common ancestor, in fact or belief, especially when the exact genealogies are not known.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

clan vs CNN
0% similar
clan vs con
50% similar
clan vs CPA
0% similar

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

Key facts for clan
PropertyValue
Headwordclan
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/klæn/
Letters4
Frequency rank#7,429
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “clan” 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). clan 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 clan is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /klæn/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,429 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for clan, with forms such as "caln", "cclan", and "clann". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CNN", "con", "CPA", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Irish clann (“offspring, children of the family”) and Scottish Gaelic clann, both from Old Irish cland, borrowed from Old Welsh plant, itself borrowed from Latin planta (“shoot, offspring”). Doublet of plant and planta. The correct English form is clan, spelled C-L-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A group of people all descended from a common ancestor, in fact or belief, especially when the exact genealogies are not known.
  2. 2
    A traditional social group of families in the Scottish Highlands having a common hereditary chieftain.
  3. 3
    Any group defined by family ties with some sort of political unity.
  4. 4
    A group of players who habitually play on the same team in multiplayer games.
  5. 5
    A badger colony.

Etymology

Borrowed from Irish clann (“offspring, children of the family”) and Scottish Gaelic clann, both from Old Irish cland, borrowed from Old Welsh plant, itself borrowed from Latin planta (“shoot, offspring”). Doublet of plant and planta.

This word in other languages

clan(Español)Clan(Deutsch)clã(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: caln,cclan,clann,cllan,clna,lcan

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of clan - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

caln2cclan1clann1cllan1clna2lcan2
Edit distance from "clan"

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 "clan"?
"clan" is spelled C-L-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /klæn/.
What does "clan" mean?
As a noun, "clan" means: A group of people all descended from a common ancestor, in fact or belief, especially when the exact genealogies are not known.
What words are commonly confused with "clan"?
"clan" is commonly confused with "CNN", "con", "CPA". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "clan"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clan" is /klæn/. 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 "clan"?
Borrowed from Irish clann (“offspring, children of the family”) and Scottish Gaelic clann, both from Old Irish cland, borrowed from Old Welsh plant, itself borrowed from Latin planta (“shoot, offspring”). Doublet of plant and planta. 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 “clan”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-L-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /klæn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “CNN” - see the side-by-side comparison. clan vs CNN
  • 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