clunk

/klʌŋk/

//klʌŋk// noun

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

"clunk" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“clunk” is an uncommon English word, ranked #72,190 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#72,190
frequency rank, English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A dull, metallic sound, especially one made by two bodies coming into contact.

Key facts for clunk
PropertyValue
Headwordclunk
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/klʌŋk/
Letters5
Frequency rank#72,190
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “clunk” 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). clunk 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 clunk is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /klʌŋk/. Corpus data places it at rank #72,190 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

clunk has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Onomatopoeic The correct English form is clunk, spelled C-L-U-N-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A dull, metallic sound, especially one made by two bodies coming into contact.
  2. 2
    The sound of liquid coming out of a bottle, etc.; a glucking sound.
  3. 3
    dull; foolish; stupid or silly person.

Etymology

Onomatopoeic

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 "clunk"?
"clunk" is spelled C-L-U-N-K. The IPA pronunciation is /klʌŋk/.
What does "clunk" mean?
As a noun, "clunk" means: A dull, metallic sound, especially one made by two bodies coming into contact.
How do you pronounce "clunk"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clunk" is /klʌŋk/. 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 "clunk"?
Onomatopoeic 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 “clunk”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-L-U-N-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /klʌŋk/ (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
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