clapboard

/ˈklæpˌbɔːd/

//ˈklæpˌbɔːd// noun

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

"clapboard" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“clapboard” is uncommon English (frequency #79,387 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#79,387
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A narrow board, usually thicker at one edge than the other, used as siding for houses and similar structures of frame construction.

Corpus desk

Index EN-clapboard · clapboard · English

clapboard · rank #79,387 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #79,387
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH circumpolar

Nearest frequency peer: circumpolar (-2 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.

Long-tail ranks near “clapboard”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “clapboard” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for clapboard
PropertyValue
Headwordclapboard
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈklæpˌbɔːd/
Letters9
Frequency rank#79,387
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “clapboard” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).clapboardfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “circumpolar” (#79,385), “coalescence” (#79,389), “coccyx” (#79,390). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “clapboard” is #79,387. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

clapboard is uncommon English at frequency #79,387 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈklæpˌbɔːd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for clapboard in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English clapholt, partial translation from Middle Low German klappholt or Middle Dutch klapholt (“barrel stave”), from klappen (“to crack”) + holt (“wood”). The part "holt" was later calqued to "board". The correct English form is clapboard, spelled C-L-A-P-B-O-A-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    A narrow board, usually thicker at one edge than the other, used as siding for houses and similar structures of frame construction.
  2. 2
    Such boards, arranged horizontally and overlapping with thick edge down, collectively, as siding.
  3. 3
    An oak board of a size used for barrel staves.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Its exterior is covered with clapboards stained dark brown.
  2. As the train wound along the river valleys through western Pennsylvania the scenery grew more rugged and the painted houses of Lancaster County gave way to dirty clapboard dwellings and shack homes clinging to the mountainside.

Etymology

From Middle English clapholt, partial translation from Middle Low German klappholt or Middle Dutch klapholt (“barrel stave”), from klappen (“to crack”) + holt (“wood”). The part "holt" was later calqued to "board".

Synonyms

weatherboard

This word in other languages

Schindel(Deutsch)

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 "clapboard"?
"clapboard" is spelled C-L-A-P-B-O-A-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈklæpˌbɔːd/.
What does "clapboard" mean?
As a noun, "clapboard" means: A narrow board, usually thicker at one edge than the other, used as siding for houses and similar structures of frame construction.
How do you pronounce "clapboard"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clapboard" is /ˈklæpˌbɔːd/. 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 "clapboard"?
From Middle English clapholt, partial translation from Middle Low German klappholt or Middle Dutch klapholt (“barrel stave”), from klappen (“to crack”) + holt (“wood”). The part "holt" was later calqued to "board". 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 "clapboard", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

colonizer#79,398cadastral#79,352cabinetry#79,350crosswind#79,425

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list