clear

/klɪə/

//klɪə// adj

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

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

The verdict

“clear” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #558 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#558
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Transparent in colour.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

clear vs Cleo
40% similar
clear vs czar
60% similar
clear vs clem
60% similar

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

Key facts for clear
PropertyValue
Headwordclear
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/klɪə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#558
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “clear” 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). clear 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 clear is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /klɪə/. Corpus data places it at rank #558 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 20 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 clear, with forms such as "cclear", "celar", and "claer". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Cleo", "czar", "clem", 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 clere, from Anglo-Norman cler, from Old French cler (Modern French clair), from Latin clarus. Displaced native Middle English schir (“clear, pure”) (from Old English scīr (“clear, bright”)), Middle English skere (“clear, sheer”) (from Ol… The correct English form is clear, spelled C-L-E-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Transparent in colour.
  2. 2
    Bright; luminous; not dark or obscured.
  3. 3
    Free of obstacles.
  4. 4
    Without clouds.
  5. 5
    Of the sky, such that less than one eighth of its area is obscured by clouds.
  6. 6
    Free of ambiguity or doubt; easily understood.
  7. 7
    Distinct, sharp, well-marked.
  8. 8
    Free of guilt, or suspicion.
  9. 9
    Without a thickening ingredient.
  10. 10
    Possessing little or no perceptible stimulus.
  11. 11
    Free from the influence of engrams; see Clear (Scientology).
  12. 12
    Able to perceive straightforwardly; keen; acute; penetrating; discriminating.
  13. 13
    Not clouded with passion; serene; cheerful.
  14. 14
    Easily or distinctly heard; audible.
  15. 15
    Unmixed; entirely pure.
  16. 16
    Without defects or blemishes, such as freckles or knots.
  17. 17
    Without diminution; in full; net.
  18. 18
    Showing a green aspect, allowing a train to proceed past it.
  19. 19
    Good, the best.
  20. 20
    Better than, superior to.

Etymology

From Middle English clere, from Anglo-Norman cler, from Old French cler (Modern French clair), from Latin clarus. Displaced native Middle English schir (“clear, pure”) (from Old English scīr (“clear, bright”)), Middle English skere (“clear, sheer”) (from Old English scǣre and Old Norse skǣr (“sheer, clear, pure”)), Middle English smolt (“clear (of mind), serene”) (from Old English smolt (“peaceful, serene”)). Cognate with Danish klar, Dutch klaar, French clair, German klar, Italian chiaro, Norwegian klar, Portuguese claro, Romanian clar, Spanish claro, and Swedish klar.

This word in other languages

transparente(Español)clair(Français)klar(Deutsch)claro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cclear,celar,claer,clearr,clera,cllear,lcear

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of clear - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

cclear1celar2claer2clearr1clera2cllear1lcear2
Edit distance from "clear"

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 "clear"?
"clear" is spelled C-L-E-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /klɪə/.
What does "clear" mean?
As an adjective, "clear" means: Transparent in colour.
What words are commonly confused with "clear"?
"clear" is commonly confused with "Cleo", "czar", "clem". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "clear"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clear" is /klɪə/. 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 "clear"?
From Middle English clere, from Anglo-Norman cler, from Old French cler (Modern French clair), from Latin clarus. Displaced native Middle English schir (“clear, pure”) (from Old English scīr (“clear, bright”)), Middle English skere (“clear, sheer”... 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 “clear”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-L-E-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /klɪə/ (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. clear 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