sclera

/ˈsklɛəɹə/

//ˈsklɛəɹə// noun

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

The verdict

“sclera” is uncommon English (frequency #90,950 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#90,950
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The white of the eye; the tough outer coat of the eye that covers the eyeball except for the cornea.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sclera · sclera · English

sclera · rank #90,950 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #90,950
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH scribal

Nearest frequency peer: scribal (+2 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.

Long-tail ranks near “sclera”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “sclera” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for sclera
PropertyValue
Headwordsclera
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsklɛəɹə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#90,950
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “sclera” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).sclerafalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “scribal” (#90,952), “scullion” (#90,954), “Scamander” (#90,941). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sclera” is #90,950. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

sclera is uncommon English at frequency #90,950 among 6,566 “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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She'd been back a week and it was clear that college-level track was kicking her ass, the sclera in her normally wide manga-eyes were shot through with blood vessels.
  2. Such pressures explain why humans are peculiar in having our rather small irises set against a white background—the sclera—in our eyes. Anyone watching us can infer where we are looking or whom we are looking at.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "sclera", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list