clownish

/ˈklaʊnɪʃ/

//ˈklaʊnɪʃ// adj

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

"clownish" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“clownish” is uncommon English (frequency #95,832 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#95,832
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Resembling or characteristic of a circus clown; comical, ridiculous.

Key facts for clownish
PropertyValue
Headwordclownish
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈklaʊnɪʃ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#95,832
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “clownish” 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). clownish 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

clownish is uncommon English at frequency #95,832 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈklaʊnɪʃ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for clownish in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From clown + -ish. The correct English form is clownish, spelled C-L-O-W-N-I-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Resembling or characteristic of a circus clown; comical, ridiculous.
  2. 2
    Pertaining to peasants; rustic.
  3. 3
    Uncultured, boorish; rough, coarse.

Etymology

From clown + -ish.

This word in other languages

clownesque(Français)

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 "clownish"?
"clownish" is spelled C-L-O-W-N-I-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈklaʊnɪʃ/.
What does "clownish" mean?
As an adjective, "clownish" means: Resembling or characteristic of a circus clown; comical, ridiculous.
How do you pronounce "clownish"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clownish" is /ˈklaʊnɪʃ/. 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 "clownish"?
From clown + -ish. 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 “clownish”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-L-O-W-N-I-S-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈklaʊnɪʃ/ (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