cluse
/kluz/
"cluse" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“cluse” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 5
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A defile or narrow gorge, especially one that cuts transversely through the rock of an otherwise continuous ridge.
Corpus desk
Index EN-cluse · cluse · English
cluse · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MID 5 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "C" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | cluse |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /kluz/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “cluse” in English
Rare enough to double-check
cluse is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /kluz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A defile or narrow gorge, especially one that cuts transversely through the rock of an otherwise continuous ridge.".
No misspelling variants are generated for cluse in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: In many cases, italicized as a borrowing of French cluse. In Early Modern texts, possibly a continuation of Middle English cluse, Old English clūse (“narrow pass”). The correct English form is cluse, spelled C-L-U-S-E.
Definition
- 1A defile or narrow gorge, especially one that cuts transversely through the rock of an otherwise continuous ridge.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how cluse appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
[...] others are bounded by the steep walls of the cluses, these being the most picturesque; others, again, occupy the combes referred to above.
Penck states that many a cluse in the Jura may have been formed by subterranean streams widening their channels until the covering broke down and their subterranean valleys became exposed[…]
Etymology
In many cases, italicized as a borrowing of French cluse. In Early Modern texts, possibly a continuation of Middle English cluse, Old English clūse (“narrow pass”).
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.