clog

/klɒɡ/

//klɒɡ// noun

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

"clog" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“clog” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,215. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,215
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A type of shoe with an inflexible, often wooden sole sometimes with an open heel.

Corpus desk

Index EN-clog · clog · English

clog · rank #29,215 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #29,215
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Clermont

Nearest frequency peer: Clermont (-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 “clog”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “clog” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

clog vs co
50% similar
clog vs cop
50% similar
clog vs con
50% similar

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

Key facts for clog
PropertyValue
Headwordclog
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/klɒɡ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#29,215
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “clog”

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).cloglands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Clermont” (#29,214), “clubbing” (#29,216), “classically” (#29,213). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “clog” is #29,215. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around clog (IPA /klɒɡ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #29,215 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for clog, with forms such as "cclog", "clgo", and "cllog". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "co", "cop", "con", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Unknown; perhaps from Middle English clog (“weight attached to the leg of an animal to impede movement”). Perhaps of North Germanic origin and derived from Proto-Germanic *klumpô (“lump, mass, clasp”); compare Old Norse klugu, klogo (“knotty tree log”), Dut… The correct English form is clog, spelled C-L-O-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A type of shoe with an inflexible, often wooden sole sometimes with an open heel.
  2. 2
    A blockage.
  3. 3
    A shoe of any type.
  4. 4
    A weight, such as a log or block of wood, attached to a person or animal to hinder motion.
  5. 5
    That which hinders or impedes motion; an encumbrance, restraint, or impediment of any kind.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Dutch people rarely wear clogs these days.
  2. […] as to the poor—just look at them when they come crowding about the church-doors on the occasion of a marriage or a funeral, clattering in clogs; […]

Etymology

Unknown; perhaps from Middle English clog (“weight attached to the leg of an animal to impede movement”). Perhaps of North Germanic origin and derived from Proto-Germanic *klumpô (“lump, mass, clasp”); compare Old Norse klugu, klogo (“knotty tree log”), Dutch klomp.

This word in other languages

zueco(Español)sabot(Français)Holzschuh(Deutsch)tamanco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cclog
  • clgo
  • cllog
  • clogg
  • colg
  • lcog

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cclog1clgo2cllog1clogg1colg2lcog2
Edit distance from "clog"

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 "clog"?
"clog" is spelled C-L-O-G. The IPA pronunciation is /klɒɡ/.
What does "clog" mean?
As a noun, "clog" means: A type of shoe with an inflexible, often wooden sole sometimes with an open heel.
What words are commonly confused with "clog"?
"clog" is commonly confused with "co", "cop", "con". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "clog"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clog" is /klɒɡ/. 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 "clog"?
Unknown; perhaps from Middle English clog (“weight attached to the leg of an animal to impede movement”). Perhaps of North Germanic origin and derived from Proto-Germanic *klumpô (“lump, mass, clasp”); compare Old Norse klugu, klogo (“knotty tree ... 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 "clog", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

cask#29,208Dara#29,235bibi#29,187Beit#29,185

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

arty6 variantsErich6 variantsaloof6 variantsyank6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list