clever
clev·er/ˈklɛv.ɚ/adjective
clever is spelled C-L-E-V-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables (clev·er). It appears 16 times per million words in written English, the 5,025th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, clever means “Nimble with hands or body; dexterous; skillful; adept” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in clever?
| Letters | 6: C-L-E-V-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: clev·er |
| In writing | 16 times per million words; the 5,025th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is clever?
Clever appears 16 times per million words in written English, the 5,025th 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 clever?
- UK /ˈklɛv.ə/
- US /ˈklɛv.ɚ/
Clever has 2 syllables, split clev·er in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-clever.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with clever?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as clever from its last stressed vowel (/ɛvəɹ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of clever
- cleverer comparative
- more clever comparative
- cleverest superlative
- most clever superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does clever mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Nimble with hands or body; dexterous; skillful; adept.
My dad is quite clever with his hands, especially at carpentry.
- 2
Quick to understand, learn, and devise or apply ideas; intelligent.
- 3
Mentally quick and resourceful; skilled at achieving what one wants in a mentally agile and inventive way.
clever like a fox
- 4
Smart, intelligent, or witty; mentally quick or sharp.
And so make life, death, and that vast forever / One grand, sweet song.
- 5
archaicSane; in one's right mind.
- 6
Showing mental quickness and resourcefulness.
This is a simple but clever trick to solve the problem.
- 7
Showing inventiveness or originality; witty.
- 8
UKcolloquialFit and healthy; free from fatigue or illness.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Clever in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | habile, agile, adroit, adroite , talentueux , malin |
| German | geschickt , clever, ausgekocht , patent, klug |
| Portuguese | hábil , talentoso , esperto , engenhoso |
| Spanish | hábil , listo, talentoso, habiloso, habilidoso, apañado |
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 clever come from?
From East Anglian dialectal English cliver (“expert at seizing”), from Middle English cliver (“tenacious”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).