clarion

/ˈklæ.ɹɪ.ən/

//ˈklæ.ɹɪ.ən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“clarion” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,918. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,918
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A medieval brass instrument chiefly used as a battle signal; related to the trumpet, it had a narrow, straight pipe and a high-pitched, piercing sound.

Corpus desk

Index EN-clarion · clarion · English

clarion · rank #31,918 · 10 variants · 13 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #31,918
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 13 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH clapper

Nearest frequency peer: clapper (-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 “clarion”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “clarion” 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).

clarion vs clarity
71% similar
clarion vs Clayton
57% similar
clarion vs Clarkson
63% similar

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

Key facts for clarion
PropertyValue
Headwordclarion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈklæ.ɹɪ.ən/
Letters7
Frequency rank#31,918
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “clarion”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).clarionlands 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 “clapper” (#31,917), “churchyard” (#31,916), “cognac” (#31,920). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “clarion” is #31,918. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around clarion (IPA /ˈklæ.ɹɪ.ən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #31,918 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for clarion, with forms such as "calrion", "cclarion", and "clairon". 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 13 confusable-pair relationships, "clarity", "Clayton", "Clarkson", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is derived from Middle English clarion, clarioun (“trumpet with a narrow tube and a shrill sound, clarion; clarion player”) [and other forms], from Old French claron, clarïon (“clarion”) [and other forms], from Medieval Latin clāriōn, clario, clārō… The correct English form is clarion, spelled C-L-A-R-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A medieval brass instrument chiefly used as a battle signal; related to the trumpet, it had a narrow, straight pipe and a high-pitched, piercing sound.
  2. 2
    The sound of a clarion (sense 1), or any sound resembling the loud, high-pitched note of a clarion.
  3. 3
    An organ stop consisting of pipes with reeds giving a high-pitched note like that of a clarion (sense 1).
  4. 4
    The middle register of the clarinet.
  5. 5
    A charge thought to represent a type of wind instrument, a keyboard instrument like a spinet, or perhaps a rest used by a knight to support a lance during jousting.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The clarion’s call to action has been heard.
  2. Then ſtrait commands that at the warlike ſound / Of Trumpets loud and Clarions be upreard / His mighty Standard; […]

Etymology

The noun is derived from Middle English clarion, clarioun (“trumpet with a narrow tube and a shrill sound, clarion; clarion player”) [and other forms], from Old French claron, clarïon (“clarion”) [and other forms], from Medieval Latin clāriōn, clario, clārōn (“clarion; trumpet”), from Latin clārus (“audible; clear, distinct, loud; (visually) bright, clear”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- (“to call, summon; to cry”). The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun.

This word in other languages

clarín(Español)clairon(Français)Fanfare(Deutsch)clarim(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • calrion
  • cclarion
  • clairon
  • clarino
  • clarionn
  • claroin
  • clarrion
  • cllarion
  • clraion
  • lcarion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

calrion2cclarion1clairon2clarino2clarionn1claroin2clarrion1cllarion1
Edit distance from "clarion"

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 "clarion"?
"clarion" is spelled C-L-A-R-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈklæ.ɹɪ.ən/.
What does "clarion" mean?
As a noun, "clarion" means: A medieval brass instrument chiefly used as a battle signal; related to the trumpet, it had a narrow, straight pipe and a high-pitched, piercing sound.
What words are commonly confused with "clarion"?
"clarion" is commonly confused with "clarity", "Clayton", "Clarkson". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "clarion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clarion" is /ˈklæ.ɹɪ.ən/. 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 "clarion"?
The noun is derived from Middle English clarion, clarioun (“trumpet with a narrow tube and a shrill sound, clarion; clarion player”) [and other forms], from Old French claron, clarïon (“clarion”) [and other forms], from Medieval Latin clāriōn, cla... 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 "clarion", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

clapper#31,917compels#31,925confine#31,931casings#31,902

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

Delilah10 variantsDryden10 variantsDurango10 variantsBeowulf10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list