clang

/ˈklæ̞ŋ/

//ˈklæ̞ŋ// noun

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

"clang" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“clang” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #45,277. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#45,277
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A loud, ringing sound, like that made by free-hanging metal objects striking each other.

Corpus desk

Index EN-clang · clang · English

clang · rank #45,277 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #45,277
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH cityscape

Nearest frequency peer: cityscape (-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 “clang”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “clang” 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).

clang vs clay
60% similar
clang vs claw
60% similar
clang vs clap
60% similar

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

Key facts for clang
PropertyValue
Headwordclang
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈklæ̞ŋ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#45,277
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “clang”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “cityscape” (#45,276), “closeup” (#45,279), “chucks” (#45,274). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “clang” is #45,277. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around clang (IPA /ˈklæ̞ŋ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #45,277 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for clang, with forms such as "calng", "cclang", and "clagn". 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, "clay", "claw", "clap", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: 1570, of imitative origin. Compare also Saterland Frisian Kloang, West Frisian klank, Dutch klank, German Klang (from klingen), Danish and Swedish klang, Latin clangere (“to resound”) (which probably influenced it). The correct English form is clang, spelled C-L-A-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A loud, ringing sound, like that made by free-hanging metal objects striking each other.
  2. 2
    Quality of tone.
  3. 3
    The cry of some birds, including the crane and the goose.
  4. 4
    A word or phrase linked only by sound and not by meaning, characteristic of some mental disorders.
  5. 5
    Alternative form of klang.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer Came down upon her head Clang, clang, Maxwell's silver hammer Made sure that she was dead
  2. For much of this day, Mrs Y. wrote in her diary, covering page after page in a rapid scrawl full of paligraphic repetitions, puns, clangs, and violent, perseverative crossings-out […]

Etymology

1570, of imitative origin. Compare also Saterland Frisian Kloang, West Frisian klank, Dutch klank, German Klang (from klingen), Danish and Swedish klang, Latin clangere (“to resound”) (which probably influenced it).

This word in other languages

glapissement(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • calng
  • cclang
  • clagn
  • clangg
  • clanng
  • cllang
  • clnag
  • lcang

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

calng2cclang1clagn2clangg1clanng1cllang1clnag2lcang2
Edit distance from "clang"

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 "clang"?
"clang" is spelled C-L-A-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈklæ̞ŋ/.
What does "clang" mean?
As a noun, "clang" means: A loud, ringing sound, like that made by free-hanging metal objects striking each other.
What words are commonly confused with "clang"?
"clang" is commonly confused with "clay", "claw", "clap". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "clang"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clang" is /ˈklæ̞ŋ/. 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 "clang"?
1570, of imitative origin. Compare also Saterland Frisian Kloang, West Frisian klank, Dutch klank, German Klang (from klingen), Danish and Swedish klang, Latin clangere (“to resound”) (which probably influenced it). 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 "clang", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

coped#45,291Carew#45,255bunks#45,249Cyndi#45,312

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

Cecile8 variantsBrienne8 variantsBiloxi8 variantsdinky8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list