cloture

/ˈkloʊ.t͡ʃɝ/

//ˈkloʊ.t͡ʃɝ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“cloture” is uncommon English (frequency #62,777 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#62,777
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 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...

Corpus desk

Index EN-cloture · cloture · English

cloture · rank #62,777 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #62,777
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH clincher

Nearest frequency peer: clincher (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “cloture”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “cloture” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
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)

Long-tail rank of “cloture” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).cloturefalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “clincher” (#62,776), “Clowes” (#62,779), “cleverer” (#62,772). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cloture” is #62,777. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cloture is uncommon English at frequency #62,777 among 5,599 “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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Now, a filibuster typically begins when a Senator or group of Senators signals their intent to filibuster – which can be done by a private conversation with the majority leader or by quietly placing a bill or nomination on hold. Given the modern Senate's scarce floor time, this threat is usually enough to table the disputed issue until the dissenting Sena…

Etymology

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

Synonyms

closure

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "cloture", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Colonna#62,786Cannock#62,747Cadogan#62,743Brunton#62,739

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list