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” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #558. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#558
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Transparent in colour.

Corpus desk

Index EN-clear · clear · English

clear · rank #558 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #558
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH action

Nearest frequency peer: action (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “clear”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “clear” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

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

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (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.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around clear (IPA /klɪə/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #558 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 20 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how clear appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. as clear as crystal
  2. The windshield was clear and clean.

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "clear", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

month#562study#554she's#552march#550

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

across7 variantsboard7 variantsheard7 variantsseems7 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "clear". Here's where to go from here.

  • "clear" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "Cleo". View pair
  • 7 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #558 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "C" letter cohort. C–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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