clavichord
/ˈklæv.ɪˌkɔɹd/noun
clavichord is spelled C-L-A-V-I-C-H-O-R-D: 10 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 22 million words in written English, the 143,405th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, clavichord means “An early keyboard instrument producing a soft sound by means of metal blades (called tangents) attached to the inner ends of the keys gently striking…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of clavichord is clavichords.
How many letters and syllables are in clavichord?
| Letters | 10: C-L-A-V-I-C-H-O-R-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 22 million words; the 143,405th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is clavichord?
Clavichord appears about once in every 22 million words in written English, the 143,405th 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 clavichord?
- UK /ˈklæv.ɪˌkɔːd/
- US /ˈklæv.ɪˌkɔɹd/
Clavichord has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-clavichord.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of clavichord
- clavichords plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does clavichord mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An early keyboard instrument producing a soft sound by means of metal blades (called tangents) attached to the inner ends of the keys gently striking the strings.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Clavichord in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense early keyboard instrument:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | clavicorde, manicordion |
| German | Clavichord, Klavichord |
| Portuguese | clavicórdio |
| Spanish | clavicordio |
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 clavichord come from?
From German Klavichord, from Renaissance Latin clavichordium, from clāvis (“key”) + chorda (“cord, string”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).