clapper

/ˈklæpɚ/

//ˈklæpɚ// noun

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

"clapper" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“clapper” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,917. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,917
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One who claps; a person who applauds by clapping the hands.

Corpus desk

Index EN-clapper · clapper · English

clapper · rank #31,917 · 9 variants · 15 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #31,917
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 15 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH churchyard

Nearest frequency peer: churchyard (-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 “clapper”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “clapper” 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).

clapper vs copper
71% similar
clapper vs clipped
71% similar
clapper vs clipper
86% similar

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

Key facts for clapper
PropertyValue
Headwordclapper
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈklæpɚ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#31,917
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “clapper”

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).clapperlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “churchyard” (#31,916), “clarion” (#31,918), “chug” (#31,915). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “clapper” is #31,917. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around clapper (IPA /ˈklæpɚ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #31,917 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for clapper, with forms such as "calpper", "cclapper", and "clapepr". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "copper", "clipped", "clipper", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From clap + -er. The correct English form is clapper, spelled C-L-A-P-P-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who claps; a person who applauds by clapping the hands.
  2. 2
    An object so suspended inside a bell that it may hit the bell and cause it to ring; a clanger or tongue.
  3. 3
    A wooden mechanical device used as a scarecrow; bird-scaring rattle, a wind-rattle or a wind-clapper.
  4. 4
    A clapstick (musical instrument).
  5. 5
    A pounding block.
  6. 6
    The chattering damsel of a mill.
  7. 7
    A slapshot
  8. 8
    The hinged part of a clapperboard, used to synchronise images and soundtrack, or the clapperboard itself.
  9. 9
    A person's tongue.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. "Sir, sir! folks' tongues go like the clappers in the fields to drive away the blackbirds. A very little wind makes 'em rattle wonderfully."
  2. Emilia 'tis true could use her clapper with great Dexterity, but he had the same advantages against her, which this had against him; Olimpia 's Tongue was also well hung but she ever had reason on her side, which he with reason could never either blame or oppose, and by both these came his Fortune: […]

Etymology

From clap + -er.

Synonyms

clapstickmusicstick

This word in other languages

badajo(Español)batail(Français)Klöppel(Deutsch)badalo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • calpper
  • cclapper
  • clapepr
  • claper
  • clapperr
  • clappre
  • cllapper
  • clpaper
  • lcapper

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

calpper2cclapper1clapepr2claper1clapperr1clappre2cllapper1clpaper2
Edit distance from "clapper"

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 "clapper"?
"clapper" is spelled C-L-A-P-P-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈklæpɚ/.
What does "clapper" mean?
As a noun, "clapper" means: One who claps; a person who applauds by clapping the hands.
What words are commonly confused with "clapper"?
"clapper" is commonly confused with "copper", "clipped", "clipper". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "clapper"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clapper" is /ˈklæpɚ/. 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 "clapper"?
From clap + -er. 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 "clapper", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

clarion#31,918compels#31,925confine#31,931casings#31,902

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

cognac9 variantschokes9 variantsChaney9 variantsBuxton9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list