Skip to main content
PlainSpell

clash

/ˈklæʃ/noun, verb

clash is spelled C-L-A-S-H: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 9.3 times per million words in written English, the 7,445th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, clash means “A loud sound, like the crashing together of metal objects; a crash” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of clash is clashes.

How many letters and syllables are in clash?

Letters5: C-L-A-S-H
Syllables1
In writing9.3 times per million words; the 7,445th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is clash?

Clash appears 9.3 times per million words in written English, the 7,445th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce clash?

  • US /ˈklæʃ/
  • US [ˈkʰl̥æʃ]
  • British /ˈklaʃ/

Clash has one syllable.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-clash.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with clash?

The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as clash from its last stressed vowel (/æʃ/):

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of clash

  • clashes plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • clashing participle, present
  • clashed participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does clash mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    A loud sound, like the crashing together of metal objects; a crash.

    I heard a clash from the kitchen, and rushed in to find the cat had knocked over some pots and pans.

  2. 2

    A skirmish, a hostile encounter.

  3. 3

    match; a game between two sides.

  4. 4

    An angry argument.

  5. 5

    Opposition; contradiction; such as between differing or contending interests, views, purposes etc.

    clash of beliefs

  6. 6

    A combination of garments that do not look good together, especially because of conflicting colours.

    She was wearing a horrible clash of red and orange.

  7. 7

    An instance of restarting the game after a "dead ball", where it is dropped between two opposing players, who can fight for possession.

  8. 8

    ScotlandChatter; gossip; idle talk.

verb

  1. 1

    To make a clashing sound.

    The cymbals clashed.

  2. 2

    To cause to make a clashing sound.

  3. 3

    To come into violent conflict.

    Fans from opposing teams clashed on the streets after the game.

  4. 4

    To argue angrily.

    My parents often clashed about minor things, such as the cleaning or shopping rota.

  5. 5

    To face each other in an important game.

  6. 6

    To fail to look good together; to contrast unattractively; to fail to harmonize.

    You can't wear that shirt! It clashes with your trousers.

  7. 7

    To coincide, to happen at the same time, thereby rendering it impossible to attend all.

    I can't come to your wedding because it clashes with a friend's funeral.

  8. 8

    ScotlandTo chatter or gossip.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Clash in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchfracas, cliquetis (loud sound), échauffourée, escarmouche (skirmish), s'affronter (to conflict)
GermanScheppern, Geschepper (loud sound), Zusammenstoß, Auseinandersetzung (skirmish), Krach, Zank (angry argument)
Portugueseestrondo (loud sound), conflito (skirmish)
Spanishestruendo (loud sound), escaramuza, enfrentamiento (skirmish), choque, entrechocamiento (opposition; contradiction), sonar (to make a clashing sound)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does clash come from?

Of onomatopoeic origin. Compare Saterland Frisian klatskje (“to smack, slap”), West Frisian kletse, kletskje, Dutch kletsen (“to smack, slap, clash”), German Low German klattsen, klatsken (“to smack, splash”), German klatschen (“to clap, smack, slap”) and Klatsch (“a clapping sound; the din resulting from two or more things colliding”), Danish klaske (“to clash, splatter”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after clash