clannish

/ˈklæn.ɪʃ/

//ˈklæn.ɪʃ// adj

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

The verdict

“clannish” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of or related to a clan.

Key facts for clannish
PropertyValue
Headwordclannish
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈklæn.ɪʃ/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “clannish” sits in English frequency

clannish falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

clannish is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈklæn.ɪʃ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

clannish has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From clan + -ish. The correct English form is clannish, spelled C-L-A-N-N-I-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or related to a clan.
  2. 2
    Socially exclusive.

Etymology

From clan + -ish.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "clannish"?
"clannish" is spelled C-L-A-N-N-I-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈklæn.ɪʃ/.
What does "clannish" mean?
As an adjective, "clannish" means: Of or related to a clan.
How do you pronounce "clannish"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clannish" is /ˈklæn.ɪʃ/. 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 "clannish"?
From clan + -ish. 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 “clannish”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-L-A-N-N-I-S-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈklæn.ɪʃ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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