clatter

/ˈklætɚ/

//ˈklætɚ// verb

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

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

The verdict

“clatter” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #44,121 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#44,121
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make a rattling sound.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

clatter vs cutter
71% similar
clatter vs crater
71% similar
clatter vs cotter
71% similar

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

Key facts for clatter
PropertyValue
Headwordclatter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈklætɚ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#44,121
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “clatter” 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). clatter 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 clatter is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈklætɚ/. Corpus data places it at rank #44,121 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for clatter, with forms such as "caltter", "cclatter", and "clater". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "cutter", "crater", "cotter", 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 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 14ᵗ… The correct English form is clatter, spelled C-L-A-T-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make a rattling sound.
  2. 2
    To chatter noisily or rapidly.
  3. 3
    To hit; to smack.

Etymology

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.

This word in other languages

traquetear(Español)claquer(Français)klappern(Deutsch)chocalhar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: caltter,cclatter,clater,clatetr,clatterr,clattre,cllatter,cltater,lcatter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of clatter - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

caltter2cclatter1clater1clatetr2clatterr1clattre2cllatter1cltater2
Edit distance from "clatter"

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 "clatter"?
"clatter" is spelled C-L-A-T-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈklætɚ/.
What does "clatter" mean?
As a verb, "clatter" means: To make a rattling sound.
What words are commonly confused with "clatter"?
"clatter" is commonly confused with "cutter", "crater", "cotter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "clatter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clatter" is /ˈklætɚ/. 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 "clatter"?
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 ... 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 “clatter”

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

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