clitoris

/ˈklɪtəɹɪs/

//ˈklɪtəɹɪs// noun

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

"clitoris" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“clitoris” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #30,735. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#30,735
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A sensitive elongated erectile sex organ at the anterior part of the vulva in female humans and other mammals.

Corpus desk

Index EN-clitoris · clitoris · English

clitoris · rank #30,735 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #30,735
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH cleary

Nearest frequency peer: cleary (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “clitoris”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “clitoris” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for clitoris
PropertyValue
Headwordclitoris
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈklɪtəɹɪs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#30,735
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “clitoris”

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).clitorislands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “cleary” (#30,734), “coincidental” (#30,736), “chromatography” (#30,732). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “clitoris” is #30,735. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around clitoris (IPA /ˈklɪtəɹɪs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #30,735 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for clitoris, with forms such as "cclitoris", "ciltoris", and "cliotris". 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. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From post-classical Latin clītoris (16th century), or its source, Koine Greek κλειτορίς (kleitorís), probably from Ancient Greek κλείω (kleíō, “I sheathe, shut”), in reference to it being covered by the labia minora. The related noun form κλείς (kleís) has … The correct English form is clitoris, spelled C-L-I-T-O-R-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A sensitive elongated erectile sex organ at the anterior part of the vulva in female humans and other mammals.
  2. 2
    A similar erectile sexual organ present in the cloacas of female amniotes.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. stimulate the clitoris
  2. She complains that her boyfriend can't find her clitoris.

Etymology

From post-classical Latin clītoris (16th century), or its source, Koine Greek κλειτορίς (kleitorís), probably from Ancient Greek κλείω (kleíō, “I sheathe, shut”), in reference to it being covered by the labia minora. The related noun form κλείς (kleís) has a second meaning of "a key, a latch or hook (to close a door)." Wooden pegs were the original keys; a connection also revealed in Latin clavis (“nail”) and claudere (“to shut”) (see close). Some medical sources give a supposed Greek verb κλειτοριάζω (kleitoriázō, “touch or titillate lasciviously, tickle”) literally "to be inclined (toward pleasure)" (compare German Kitzler (“clitoris”, literally “tickler”), related to Greek κλειτύς (kleitús, “shut, closed”), a variant of κλιτύς (klitús, “hillside”), related to κλίνω (klínō, “I slope”), from the same root as κλῖμαξ (klîmax, “ladder”). But many sources take κλειτορίς (kleitorís) literally as Ancient Greek "little hill".

Synonyms

beanbutter beanboy in the boatbuttonclitclitorisdevil's doorbellhappy buttonjewelkernelknoblittle man in the boatlovebudlove buttonnubnubbinpanic buttonpearlskittlesugar plumsweet spot

This word in other languages

clítoris(Español)clitoris(Français)Klitoris(Deutsch)clitóris(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cclitoris
  • ciltoris
  • cliotris
  • clitoirs
  • clitoriss
  • clitorris
  • clitorsi
  • clitrois
  • clittoris
  • cllitoris
  • cltioris
  • lcitoris

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of clitoris - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

cclitoris1ciltoris2cliotris2clitoirs2clitoriss1clitorris1clitorsi2clitrois2
Edit distance from "clitoris"

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 "clitoris"?
"clitoris" is spelled C-L-I-T-O-R-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈklɪtəɹɪs/.
What does "clitoris" mean?
As a noun, "clitoris" means: A sensitive elongated erectile sex organ at the anterior part of the vulva in female humans and other mammals.
What are common misspellings of "clitoris"?
Common misspellings include "cclitoris", "ciltoris", "cliotris", "clitoirs", "clitoriss". The correct spelling is "clitoris".
How do you pronounce "clitoris"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clitoris" is /ˈklɪtəɹɪs/. 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 "clitoris"?
From post-classical Latin clītoris (16th century), or its source, Koine Greek κλειτορίς (kleitorís), probably from Ancient Greek κλείω (kleíō, “I sheathe, shut”), in reference to it being covered by the labia minora. The related noun form κλείς (k... 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 "clitoris", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

colliery#30,738Corcoran#30,741buoyancy#30,713Bayesian#30,699

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

crucially12 variantsCaledonia12 variantsdelirious12 variantseasterly12 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list