clone

/kloʊn/

//kloʊn// noun

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

"clone" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“clone” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,518. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,518
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A living organism (originally a plant) produced asexually from a single ancestor, to which it is genetically identical.

Corpus desk

Index EN-clone · clone · English

clone · rank #11,518 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,518
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH chic

Nearest frequency peer: chic (-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 “clone”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “clone” 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).

clone vs con
60% similar
clone vs Coe
40% similar
clone vs come
60% similar

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

Key facts for clone
PropertyValue
Headwordclone
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kloʊn/
Letters5
Frequency rank#11,518
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “clone”

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).clonelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “chic” (#11,517), “clusters” (#11,519), “cardiovascular” (#11,516). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “clone” is #11,518. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around clone (IPA /kloʊn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #11,518 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for clone, with forms such as "cclone", "cllone", and "clnoe". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "con", "Coe", "come", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Coined (in botany) in 1903, based on Ancient Greek κλών (klṓn, “twig”). Figurative use from the 1970s. The correct English form is clone, spelled C-L-O-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A living organism (originally a plant) produced asexually from a single ancestor, to which it is genetically identical.
  2. 2
    A group of identical cells derived from a single cell.
  3. 3
    A copy or imitation of something already existing, especially when designed to simulate it.
  4. 4
    A person who is exactly like or very similar to another person, in terms of looks or behavior.
  5. 5
    A Castro clone.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. This new species is a clone of the mimosa plant.
  2. The computer manufacturer produced IBM PC clones in the 1990s.

Etymology

Coined (in botany) in 1903, based on Ancient Greek κλών (klṓn, “twig”). Figurative use from the 1970s.

This word in other languages

clon(Español)clone(Français)Klon(Deutsch)clone(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cclone
  • cllone
  • clnoe
  • cloen
  • clonne
  • colne
  • lcone

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of clone - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

cclone1cllone1clnoe2cloen2clonne1colne2lcone2
Edit distance from "clone"

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 "clone"?
"clone" is spelled C-L-O-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kloʊn/.
What does "clone" mean?
As a noun, "clone" means: A living organism (originally a plant) produced asexually from a single ancestor, to which it is genetically identical.
What words are commonly confused with "clone"?
"clone" is commonly confused with "con", "Coe", "come". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "clone"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clone" is /kloʊn/. 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 "clone"?
Coined (in botany) in 1903, based on Ancient Greek κλών (klṓn, “twig”). Figurative use from the 1970s. 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 "clone", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Byron#11,515drown#11,534wasnt#11,493troop#11,486

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

addict7 variantswillow7 variantsWillis7 variantstrait7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list