clap

/klæp/

//klæp// noun

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

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

The verdict

“clap” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,088 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#14,088
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of striking the palms of the hands, or any two surfaces, together.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

clap vs cp
50% similar
clap vs cup
50% similar
clap vs cop
50% similar

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

Key facts for clap
PropertyValue
Headwordclap
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/klæp/
Letters4
Frequency rank#14,088
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “clap” 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). clap 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 clap is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /klæp/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,088 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 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 clap, with forms such as "calp", "cclap", and "clapp". 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, "cp", "cup", "cop", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English clappen, from Old English clæppan, *clappian, from Proto-West Germanic *klappijan, *klappōn, from Proto-Germanic *klappōną (“to clap”). Cognate with Dutch klappen, Icelandic klappa, Faroese klappa and Danish klappe. The correct English form is clap, spelled C-L-A-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of striking the palms of the hands, or any two surfaces, together.
  2. 2
    The explosive sound of thunder.
  3. 3
    Any loud, sudden, explosive sound made by striking hard surfaces together, or resembling such a sound.
  4. 4
    A slap with the hand, usually in a jovial manner.
  5. 5
    A single, sudden act or motion; a stroke; a blow.
  6. 6
    The nether part of the beak of a hawk.
  7. 7
    A dropping of cow dung (presumably from the sound made as it hits the ground)

Etymology

From Middle English clappen, from Old English clæppan, *clappian, from Proto-West Germanic *klappijan, *klappōn, from Proto-Germanic *klappōną (“to clap”). Cognate with Dutch klappen, Icelandic klappa, Faroese klappa and Danish klappe.

Synonyms

thunderclap

This word in other languages

palma(Español)Klatschen(Deutsch)palma(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: calp,cclap,clapp,cllap,clpa,lcap

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

calp2cclap1clapp1cllap1clpa2lcap2
Edit distance from "clap"

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 "clap"?
"clap" is spelled C-L-A-P. The IPA pronunciation is /klæp/.
What does "clap" mean?
As a noun, "clap" means: The act of striking the palms of the hands, or any two surfaces, together.
What words are commonly confused with "clap"?
"clap" is commonly confused with "cp", "cup", "cop". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "clap"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clap" is /klæp/. 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 "clap"?
From Middle English clappen, from Old English clæppan, *clappian, from Proto-West Germanic *klappijan, *klappōn, from Proto-Germanic *klappōną (“to clap”). Cognate with Dutch klappen, Icelandic klappa, Faroese klappa and Danish klappe. 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 “clap”

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

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