clean

/kliːn/

//kliːn// adj

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

"clean" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“clean” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,135 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,135
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Free of dirt, filth, or impurities (extraneous matter); not dirty, filthy, or soiled.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

clean vs Cleo
40% similar
clean vs clem
60% similar
clean vs cyan
60% similar

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

Key facts for clean
PropertyValue
Headwordclean
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/kliːn/
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,135
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “clean” 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). clean 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 clean is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kliːn/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,135 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 22 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for clean, with forms such as "cclean", "celan", and "claen". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Cleo", "clem", "cyan", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English clene, clane, from Old English clǣne (“clean, pure”), from Proto-West Germanic *klainī (“shining, fine, splendid, tender”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *glēy- (“gleaming”), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to gleam”). Cognate with S… The correct English form is clean, spelled C-L-E-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Free of dirt, filth, or impurities (extraneous matter); not dirty, filthy, or soiled.
  2. 2
    Free of dirt, filth, or impurities (extraneous matter); not dirty, filthy, or soiled.
  3. 3
    Free of contamination, (unwanted) germs, infection, or disease.
  4. 4
    Free of contamination, (unwanted) germs, infection, or disease.
  5. 5
    Free of imperfections, blemishes, or defects.
  6. 6
    Free of imperfections, blemishes, or defects.
  7. 7
    Free of imperfections, blemishes, or defects.
  8. 8
    Free of imperfections, blemishes, or defects.
  9. 9
    Free of immorality or criminality.
  10. 10
    Free of immorality or criminality.
  11. 11
    Free of immorality or criminality.
  12. 12
    Free of immorality or criminality.
  13. 13
    Free of immorality or criminality.
  14. 14
    Free of infiltration by covert listening or recording devices (bugs), enemy spies, etc.
  15. 15
    Empty.
  16. 16
    Smooth, exact, and performed well.
  17. 17
    That does not damage the environment (as much as some alternative).
  18. 18
    Allowing an uninterrupted flow over surfaces, without protrusions such as racks or landing gear.
  19. 19
    Having the undercarriage and flaps in the up position.
  20. 20
    Well-proportioned; shapely.
  21. 21
    Cool or neat.
  22. 22
    Utter, complete, total; pure; free from restraint.

Etymology

From Middle English clene, clane, from Old English clǣne (“clean, pure”), from Proto-West Germanic *klainī (“shining, fine, splendid, tender”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *glēy- (“gleaming”), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to gleam”). Cognate with Scots clean (“absolute, pure, clear, empty”) and clene, clane (“clean”), North Frisian klien (“small”), West Frisian klien (“small”), klean (“clean”), Dutch klein (“small”), Low German kleen (“small”), German klein (“small”), Swedish klen (“weak, feeble, delicate”), Icelandic klénn (“poor, feeble, petty, snug, puny, cheesy, lame”).

Synonyms

cleanclean as a beanclean as a hound's toothclean as a new pennyclean as a new pinclean as a whistleimmaculatepristinespick-and-spanspotlesssqueaky cleanstainlessunsoiledunsullied

Antonyms

dirtyunclean

This word in other languages

limpio(Español)propre(Français)sauber(Deutsch)limpo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cclean,celan,claen,cleann,clena,cllean,lcean

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of clean - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

cclean1celan2claen2cleann1clena2cllean1lcean2
Edit distance from "clean"

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 "clean"?
"clean" is spelled C-L-E-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kliːn/.
What does "clean" mean?
As an adjective, "clean" means: Free of dirt, filth, or impurities (extraneous matter); not dirty, filthy, or soiled.
What words are commonly confused with "clean"?
"clean" is commonly confused with "Cleo", "clem", "cyan". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "clean"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clean" is /kliːn/. 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 "clean"?
From Middle English clene, clane, from Old English clǣne (“clean, pure”), from Proto-West Germanic *klainī (“shining, fine, splendid, tender”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *glēy- (“gleaming”), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to gleam”). Cogn... 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 “clean”

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

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