clever

/ˈklɛv.ə/

//ˈklɛv.ə// adj

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

"clever" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“clever” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,014 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#5,014
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Nimble with hands or body; dexterous; skillful; adept.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

clever vs cover
67% similar
clever vs Clive
50% similar
clever vs clove
67% similar

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

Key facts for clever
PropertyValue
Headwordclever
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈklɛv.ə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#5,014
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs17
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “clever” 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). clever 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 clever is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈklɛv.ə/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,014 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for clever, with forms such as "cclever", "celver", and "cleevr". 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 17 confusable-pair relationships, "cover", "Clive", "clove", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From East Anglian dialectal English cliver (“expert at seizing”), from Middle English cliver (“tenacious”). * perhaps from Old English *clifer, clibbor (“clinging”); * or perhaps from Dutch, Low German, or East/Saterland Frisian (compare kluftich (“clever, … The correct English form is clever, spelled C-L-E-V-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Nimble with hands or body; dexterous; skillful; adept.
  2. 2
    Quick to understand, learn, and devise or apply ideas; intelligent.
  3. 3
    Mentally quick and resourceful; skilled at achieving what one wants in a mentally agile and inventive way.
  4. 4
    Smart, intelligent, or witty; mentally quick or sharp.
  5. 5
    Sane; in one's right mind.
  6. 6
    Showing mental quickness and resourcefulness.
  7. 7
    Showing inventiveness or originality; witty.
  8. 8
    Fit and healthy; free from fatigue or illness.
  9. 9
    Good-natured; obliging.
  10. 10
    Possessing magical abilities.
  11. 11
    Fit; suitable; having propriety.
  12. 12
    Well-shaped; handsome.

Etymology

From East Anglian dialectal English cliver (“expert at seizing”), from Middle English cliver (“tenacious”). * perhaps from Old English *clifer, clibbor (“clinging”); * or perhaps from Dutch, Low German, or East/Saterland Frisian (compare kluftich (“clever, prudent”), probably derived from Proto-West Germanic *kleuban (“to cleave, split”)); * or dialectal Norwegian klover (“ready, skillful”), itself borrowed from Middle Low German klever, related to kleven (“to stick”), from Old Saxon klibōn, from Proto-West Germanic *klibēn, related to the Old English word above; * possibly influenced by Old English clifer (“claw, hand”) (compare clawian (“to claw”)). Related to cleave. Perhaps influenced by Welsh celfydd (“talented, dexterous, expert”).

Synonyms

quick-wittedsharp-wittedcunningstreet-smartadroittalentedingeniouscraftycunningmagical

Antonyms

dullstupidineffectualnaiveclumsyantonym(s) of

This word in other languages

ágil(Español)habile(Français)geschickt(Deutsch)hábil(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cclever,celver,cleevr,cleverr,clevre,clevver,cllever,clveer,lcever

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of clever - 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.

cclever1celver2cleevr2cleverr1clevre2clevver1cllever1clveer2
Edit distance from "clever"

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 "clever"?
"clever" is spelled C-L-E-V-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈklɛv.ə/.
What does "clever" mean?
As an adjective, "clever" means: Nimble with hands or body; dexterous; skillful; adept.
What words are commonly confused with "clever"?
"clever" is commonly confused with "cover", "Clive", "clove". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "clever"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clever" is /ˈklɛv.ə/. 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 "clever"?
From East Anglian dialectal English cliver (“expert at seizing”), from Middle English cliver (“tenacious”). * perhaps from Old English *clifer, clibbor (“clinging”); * or perhaps from Dutch, Low German, or East/Saterland Frisian (compare kluftich ... 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 “clever”

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

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