close

/kləʊz/

//kləʊz// verb

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

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

The verdict

“close” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #431. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#431
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.

Corpus desk

Index EN-close · close · English

close · rank #431 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #431
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH class

Nearest frequency peer: class (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “close”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “close” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

close vs cos
60% similar
close vs Coe
40% similar
close vs CSE
0% similar

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

Key facts for close
PropertyValue
Headwordclose
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kləʊz/
Letters5
Frequency rank#431
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “close” 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). close lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around close (IPA /kləʊz/), averb. Corpus frequency is #431 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 22 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for close, with forms such as "cclose", "cllose", and "cloes". 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, "cos", "Coe", "CSE", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English closen (“to close, enclose”), partly continuing (in altered form) earlier Middle English clusen (“to close”) from Old English clȳsan (“to close, shut”); compare beclose, foreclose, etc.), and partly derived from Middle English clos (“clo… The correct English form is close, spelled C-L-O-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
  2. 2
    To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
  3. 3
    To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
  4. 4
    To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
  5. 5
    To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
  6. 6
    To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
  7. 7
    To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
  8. 8
    To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
  9. 9
    To finish.
  10. 10
    To finish.
  11. 11
    To finish.
  12. 12
    To finish.
  13. 13
    To finish.
  14. 14
    To finish.
  15. 15
    To make or become non-operational or unavailable for use.
  16. 16
    To make or become non-operational or unavailable for use.
  17. 17
    To make or become non-operational or unavailable for use.
  18. 18
    To make or become non-operational or unavailable for use.
  19. 19
    To make or become non-operational or unavailable for use.
  20. 20
    To make or become non-operational or unavailable for use.
  21. 21
    To come or gather around; to enclose.
  22. 22
    To have a vector sum of 0; that is, to form a closed polygon.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Close the door behind you when you leave.
  2. Many flowers close at night.

Etymology

From Middle English closen (“to close, enclose”), partly continuing (in altered form) earlier Middle English clusen (“to close”) from Old English clȳsan (“to close, shut”); compare beclose, foreclose, etc.), and partly derived from Middle English clos (“close, shut up, confined, secret”, adjective), from Old French clos (“close, confined”, adjective), from Latin clausus (“shut up”, past participle), from claudere (“to bar, block, close, enclose, bring an end to, confine”), from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂w- (“key, hook, nail”), related to Latin clāvis (“key, deadbolt, bar”), clāvus (“nail, peg”), claustrum (“bar, bolt, barrier”), claustra (“dam, wall, barricade, stronghold”). Cognate with Ancient Greek κλείς (kleís, “bar, bolt, key”), German schließen (“to close, conclude, lock”), Dutch sluiten (“to close, conclude, lock”). Partially replaced Old English lūcan (“to close, lock, enclose”), (whence English lock). Doublet of clause.

This word in other languages

cerrar(Español)fermer(Français)schließen(Deutsch)fechar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cclose
  • cllose
  • cloes
  • closse
  • clsoe
  • colse
  • lcose

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cclose1cllose1cloes2closse1clsoe2colse2lcose2
Edit distance from "close"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "close"?
"close" is spelled C-L-O-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kləʊz/.
What does "close" mean?
As a verb, "close" means: To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.
What words are commonly confused with "close"?
"close" is commonly confused with "cos", "Coe", "CSE". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "close"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "close" is /kləʊz/. 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 "close"?
From Middle English closen (“to close, enclose”), partly continuing (in altered form) earlier Middle English clusen (“to close”) from Old English clȳsan (“to close, shut”); compare beclose, foreclose, etc.), and partly derived from Middle English ... 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 "close", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

class#430comes#432looks#436needs#422

Similar misspelling depth

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

human7 variantswoman7 variantsalong7 variantswon't7 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "close". Here's where to go from here.

  • "close" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "cos". View pair
  • 7 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #431 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "C" letter cohort. C–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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