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PlainSpell

clatter

clat·ter/ˈklæɾɚ/verb, noun

clatter is spelled C-L-A-T-T-E-R: 7 letters and 2 syllables (clat·ter). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, clatter means “To make a rattling sound” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in clatter?

Letters7: C-L-A-T-T-E-R
Syllables2: clat·ter
In writingabout once in every 2 million words; the 44,209th 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 clatter?

Clatter appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th 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 clatter?

  • UK /ˈklætəː/
  • UK [ˈklætʰəː]
  • US /ˈklæɾɚ/

Clatter has 2 syllables, split clat·ter in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-clatter.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with clatter?

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

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 clatter

  • clatters present, singular, he/she/it, plural
  • clattering participle, present
  • clattered participle, past

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

What does clatter mean?

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

verb

  1. 1

    To make a rattling sound.

  2. 2

    To chatter noisily or rapidly.

    But if that I knewe what his name hight, / For clatering of me I would him ſone quight; / For his falſe lying, of that I ſpake never, / I could make him ſhortly repent him forever: […]

  3. 3

    To hit; to smack.

noun

  1. 1

    A rattling noise; a repetition of abrupt, sharp sounds.

  2. 2

    A loud disturbance.

  3. 3

    Noisy talk or chatter.

  4. 4

    IrelandinformalA large group, especially of sibling children; a lot

  5. 5

    Alternative form of clitter; scree.

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

Clatter in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Germanklappern, poltern (To cause to make a rattling sound), Geklapper, Gepolter, Klappern, Klackern (A rattling noise)
Spanishtraquetear (To cause to make a rattling sound), trapalear (To chatter noisily or rapidly)
Frenchclaquement, craquement (A rattling noise), claquer, craquer (To make a rattling noise), vacarme (A loud disturbance)
Portuguesechocalhar, chacoalhar (To make a rattling noise)

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 clatter come from?

From Middle English clatren (“to make a rattling sound”), from Old English *clatrian (attested as the Late Old English gerund clatrung), of onomatopoeic origin. Compare Dutch klateren, kletteren. The noun, derived from the verb, is first attested in the 14ᵗʰ century.

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

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