clarity

/ˈklæɹ.ɪ.ti/

//ˈklæɹ.ɪ.ti// noun

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

The verdict

“clarity” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,260 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#8,260
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state or measure of being clear, either in appearance, thought or style; lucidity.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

clarity vs clary
71% similar
clarity vs cavity
71% similar
clarity vs claret
71% similar

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

Key facts for clarity
PropertyValue
Headwordclarity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈklæɹ.ɪ.ti/
Letters7
Frequency rank#8,260
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “clarity” 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). clarity 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 clarity is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈklæɹ.ɪ.ti/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,260 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for clarity, with forms such as "calrity", "cclarity", and "clairty". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "clary", "cavity", "claret", 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 claritee, from Old French clarté, from Latin clāritās, from clārus (“clear”); equivalent to clear + -ity. The correct English form is clarity, spelled C-L-A-R-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state or measure of being clear, either in appearance, thought or style; lucidity.
  2. 2
    The ability to be easily understood.
  3. 3
    The ability to think clearly and rationally.
  4. 4
    The ability to be easily heard.

Etymology

From Middle English claritee, from Old French clarté, from Latin clāritās, from clārus (“clear”); equivalent to clear + -ity.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: calrity,cclarity,clairty,claritty,clarityy,clariyt,clarrity,clartiy,cllarity,clraity,lcarity

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

calrity2cclarity1clairty2claritty1clarityy1clariyt2clarrity1clartiy2
Edit distance from "clarity"

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 "clarity"?
"clarity" is spelled C-L-A-R-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈklæɹ.ɪ.ti/.
What does "clarity" mean?
As a noun, "clarity" means: The state or measure of being clear, either in appearance, thought or style; lucidity.
What words are commonly confused with "clarity"?
"clarity" is commonly confused with "clary", "cavity", "claret". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "clarity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clarity" is /ˈklæɹ.ɪ.ti/. 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 "clarity"?
From Middle English claritee, from Old French clarté, from Latin clāritās, from clārus (“clear”); equivalent to clear + -ity. 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 “clarity”

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

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