cloture

/ˈkloʊ.t͡ʃɝ/

//ˈkloʊ.t͡ʃɝ// noun

"cloture" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cloture” is uncommon English (frequency #62,777 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#62,777
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In legislative assemblies that permit unlimited debate (that is, a filibuster): a motion, procedure or rule by which debate is ended so that a vote may be taken on the matter. For example, in the U...

Key facts for cloture
PropertyValue
Headwordcloture
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkloʊ.t͡ʃɝ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#62,777
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cloture” 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). cloture lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

cloture is uncommon English at frequency #62,777 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkloʊ.t͡ʃɝ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "In legislative assemblies that permit unlimited debate (that is, a filibuster): a motion, procedure or rule by which debate is ended so that a vote may be taken on the matter. For example, in the U...".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for cloture, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French clôture (“closure”). Doublet of closure and clausure. The correct English form is cloture, spelled C-L-O-T-U-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    In legislative assemblies that permit unlimited debate (that is, a filibuster): a motion, procedure or rule by which debate is ended so that a vote may be taken on the matter. For example, in the United States Senate, a three-fifths majority vote of the body is required to invoke cloture and terminate debate.

Etymology

Borrowed from French clôture (“closure”). Doublet of closure and clausure.

Synonyms

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 "cloture"?
"cloture" is spelled C-L-O-T-U-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkloʊ.t͡ʃɝ/.
What does "cloture" mean?
As a noun, "cloture" means: In legislative assemblies that permit unlimited debate (that is, a filibuster): a motion, procedure or rule by which debate is ended so that a vote may be taken on the matter. For example, in the U...
How do you pronounce "cloture"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cloture" is /ˈkloʊ.t͡ʃɝ/. 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 "cloture"?
Borrowed from French clôture (“closure”). Doublet of closure and clausure. 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.

Using “cloture”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-L-O-T-U-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkloʊ.t͡ʃɝ/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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