close down

/kləʊzˈdaʊn/

//kləʊzˈdaʊn// verb

"close-down" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“close down” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To stop trading as a business.

Key facts for close down
PropertyValue
Headwordclose down
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kləʊzˈdaʊn/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “close down” sits in English frequency

close down falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for close down is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kləʊzˈdaʊn/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

close down doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct English form is close down, spelled C-L-O-S-E- -D-O-W-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To stop trading as a business.
  2. 2
    To surround someone, as to impede their movement.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "close down"?
"close down" is spelled C-L-O-S-E- -D-O-W-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kləʊzˈdaʊn/.
What does "close down" mean?
As a verb, "close down" means: To stop trading as a business.
How do you pronounce "close down"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "close down" is /kləʊzˈdaʊn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "close down" come from?
"close down" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “close down”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-L-O-S-E- -D-O-W-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kləʊzˈdaʊn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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