sclera

/ˈsklɛəɹə/

//ˈsklɛəɹə// noun

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

The verdict

“sclera” is uncommon English (frequency #90,950 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#90,950
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The white of the eye; the tough outer coat of the eye that covers the eyeball except for the cornea.

Key facts for sclera
PropertyValue
Headwordsclera
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsklɛəɹə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#90,950
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sclera” 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). sclera 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

sclera is uncommon English at frequency #90,950 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsklɛəɹə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The white of the eye; the tough outer coat of the eye that covers the eyeball except for the cornea.".

Zero misspellings are on record for sclera in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from New Latin sclera, from Ancient Greek σκληρός (sklērós, “hard”). The correct English form is sclera, spelled S-C-L-E-R-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    The white of the eye; the tough outer coat of the eye that covers the eyeball except for the cornea.

Etymology

Borrowed from New Latin sclera, from Ancient Greek σκληρός (sklērós, “hard”).

This word in other languages

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 "sclera"?
"sclera" is spelled S-C-L-E-R-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsklɛəɹə/.
What does "sclera" mean?
As a noun, "sclera" means: The white of the eye; the tough outer coat of the eye that covers the eyeball except for the cornea.
How do you pronounce "sclera"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sclera" is /ˈsklɛəɹə/. 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 "sclera"?
Borrowed from New Latin sclera, from Ancient Greek σκληρός (sklērós, “hard”). 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 “sclera”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-C-L-E-R-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsklɛəɹə/ (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