clumsy

/ˈklʌmzi/

//ˈklʌmzi// adj

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

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

The verdict

“clumsy” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,199. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,199
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dextrous.

Corpus desk

Index EN-clumsy · clumsy · English

clumsy · rank #16,199 · 10 variants · 11 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,199
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 11 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH commuter

Nearest frequency peer: commuter (+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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “clumsy”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “clumsy” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

clumsy vs cums
67% similar
clumsy vs clunky
67% similar
clumsy vs crummy
67% similar

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

Key facts for clumsy
PropertyValue
Headwordclumsy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈklʌmzi/
Letters6
Frequency rank#16,199
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “clumsy”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).clumsylands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “commuter” (#16,200), “Chilean” (#16,197), “composing” (#16,201). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “clumsy” is #16,199. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around clumsy (IPA /ˈklʌmzi/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #16,199 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for clumsy, with forms such as "cclumsy", "cllumsy", and "clmusy". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "cums", "clunky", "crummy", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Possibly from an alteration of clumsed (“benumbed”) or from clumse (“a stupid fellow; lout”) + -y. More at clumse. The correct English form is clumsy, spelled C-L-U-M-S-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dextrous.
  2. 2
    Not elegant or well-planned, lacking tact or subtlety.
  3. 3
    Awkward or inefficient in use or construction, difficult to handle or manage especially because of shape.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He's very clumsy. I wouldn't trust him with carrying the dishes.
  2. It is a clumsy solution, but it might work for now.

Etymology

Possibly from an alteration of clumsed (“benumbed”) or from clumse (“a stupid fellow; lout”) + -y. More at clumse.

This word in other languages

torpe(Español)empoté(Français)tollpatschig(Deutsch)atrapalhado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cclumsy
  • cllumsy
  • clmusy
  • clummsy
  • clumssy
  • clumsyy
  • clumys
  • clusmy
  • culmsy
  • lcumsy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cclumsy1cllumsy1clmusy2clummsy1clumssy1clumsyy1clumys2clusmy2
Edit distance from "clumsy"

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 "clumsy"?
"clumsy" is spelled C-L-U-M-S-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈklʌmzi/.
What does "clumsy" mean?
As an adjective, "clumsy" means: Awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dextrous.
What words are commonly confused with "clumsy"?
"clumsy" is commonly confused with "cums", "clunky", "crummy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "clumsy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clumsy" is /ˈklʌmzi/. 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 "clumsy"?
Possibly from an alteration of clumsed (“benumbed”) or from clumse (“a stupid fellow; lout”) + -y. More at clumse. 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 "clumsy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

cheats#16,196canary#16,189aiding#16,173ageing#16,172

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

commuter10 variantsChilean10 variantscurated10 variantsdoubted10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list