clover

/ˈkləʊ.və(ɹ)/

//ˈkləʊ.və(ɹ)// noun

"clover" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“clover” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,041 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#18,041
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A plant of the genus Trifolium with leaves usually divided into three (rarely four) leaflets and with white or red flowers.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

clover vs cove
67% similar
clover vs cover
83% similar
clover vs coven
67% similar

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

Key facts for clover
PropertyValue
Headwordclover
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkləʊ.və(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#18,041
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “clover” 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). clover lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for clover is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkləʊ.və(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,041 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for clover, with forms such as "cclover", "cllover", and "cloevr". 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, "cove", "cover", "coven", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English clovere, claver, from Old English clāfre, earlier clǣfre, from Proto-West Germanic *klaibrā. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Kleeuwer, Low German Klaver, Klever, Dutch klaver, all “clover”. More distantly also related with German Klee. The correct English form is clover, spelled C-L-O-V-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A plant of the genus Trifolium with leaves usually divided into three (rarely four) leaflets and with white or red flowers.
  2. 2
    The second Lenormand card, representing hope, optimism and short-term luck.

Etymology

From Middle English clovere, claver, from Old English clāfre, earlier clǣfre, from Proto-West Germanic *klaibrā. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Kleeuwer, Low German Klaver, Klever, Dutch klaver, all “clover”. More distantly also related with German Klee.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cclover,cllover,cloevr,cloverr,clovre,clovver,clvoer,colver,lcover

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of clover - 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.

cclover1cllover1cloevr2cloverr1clovre2clovver1clvoer2colver2
Edit distance from "clover"

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 "clover"?
"clover" is spelled C-L-O-V-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkləʊ.və(ɹ)/.
What does "clover" mean?
As a noun, "clover" means: A plant of the genus Trifolium with leaves usually divided into three (rarely four) leaflets and with white or red flowers.
What words are commonly confused with "clover"?
"clover" is commonly confused with "cove", "cover", "coven". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "clover"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clover" is /ˈkləʊ.və(ɹ)/. 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 "clover"?
From Middle English clovere, claver, from Old English clāfre, earlier clǣfre, from Proto-West Germanic *klaibrā. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Kleeuwer, Low German Klaver, Klever, Dutch klaver, all “clover”. More distantly also related with Germa... 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 “clover”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-L-O-V-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkləʊ.və(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “cove” - see the side-by-side comparison. clover vs cove
  • 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