# cleave

> English word · Verb · IPA /kliːv/ · frequency rank #34,831

## Definitions
1. To split or sever something with, or as if with, a sharp instrument.
2. To break a single crystal (such as a gemstone or semiconductor wafer) along one of its more symmetrical crystallographic planes (often by impact), forming facets on the resulting pieces.
3. To make or accomplish by or as if by cutting.
4. (chemistry) To split (a complex molecule) into simpler molecules.
5. To split.
6. Of a crystal, to split along a natural plane of division.

## Etymology
From Middle English cleven, from the Old English strong verb clēofan (“to split, to separate”), from Proto-West Germanic *kleuban, from Proto-Germanic *kleubaną, from Proto-Indo-European *glewbʰ- (“to cut, to slice”).
Doublet of clive. Cognate with Dutch klieven, dialectal German klieben, Swedish klyva, Norwegian Nynorsk kløyva; also Ancient Greek γλύφω (glúphō, “carve”).

## Easily confused with
- **Clive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleave-vs-clive)
- **crave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleave-vs-crave)
- **clove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleave-vs-clove)
- **cleve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleave-vs-cleve)
- **create** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleave-vs-create)
- **clever** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleave-vs-clever)
- **crease** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleave-vs-crease)
- **cleaver** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleave-vs-cleaver)
- **cleaved** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleave-vs-cleaved)
- **cave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cave-vs-cleave)
- **clear** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clear-vs-cleave)
- **clean** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clean-vs-cleave)
- **cease** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cease-vs-cleave)
- **Clare** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clare-vs-cleave)
- **clears** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clears-vs-cleave)
- **cleans** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleans-vs-cleave)
- **cleary** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleary-vs-cleave)
- **cleats** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleats-vs-cleave)
- **cleared** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleared-vs-cleave)
- **cleaned** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cleaned-vs-cleave)

## Common misspellings (8)
`ccleave`, `celave`, `claeve`, `cleaev`, `cleavve`, `clevae`, `clleave`, `lceave`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cleave