clair

\klɛʁ\

/\klɛʁ\/ adj

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

The verdict

“clair” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,086 in French word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,086
frequency rank, French
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Qui a l’éclat du jour, de la lumière.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

clair vs clan
60% similar
clair vs clip
60% similar
clair vs cuir
60% similar

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

Key facts for clair
PropertyValue
Headwordclair
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\klɛʁ\
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,086
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “clair” sits in French 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). clair 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 French entry for clair is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \klɛʁ\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,086 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 14 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for clair, with forms such as "calir", "cclair", and "clairr". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "clan", "clip", "cuir", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is clair, spelled C-L-A-I-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Qui a l’éclat du jour, de la lumière.
  2. 2
    Qui reçoit beaucoup de jour.
  3. 3
    Transparent, pas trouble, pur.
  4. 4
    Qualifie un œuf qui n’est pas fécondé.
  5. 5
    Luisant, poli.
  6. 6
    La meilleure partie, la partie la plus sûre, la plus incontestable.
  7. 7
    Peu foncé.
  8. 8
    Éclairci.
  9. 9
    Peu consistant, peu épais.
  10. 10
    Peu serré, clairsemé.
  11. 11
    Net, aigu, en parlant de la voix et des sons.
  12. 12
    Intelligible, aisé à comprendre, simple.
  13. 13
    Évident, manifeste.
  14. 14
    Qui comprend aisément, en parlant de l’esprit.

Synonyms

aiséargentinbrillantpropreprécissagacesignificatifsûrvisible

This word in other languages

bright(English)claro(Español)hell(Deutsch)luminoso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: calir,cclair,clairr,clari,cliar,cllair,lcair

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of clair - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

calir2cclair1clairr1clari2cliar2cllair1lcair2
Edit distance from "clair"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "clair"?
"clair" is spelled C-L-A-I-R. The IPA pronunciation is \klɛʁ\.
What does "clair" mean?
As an adjective, "clair" means: Qui a l’éclat du jour, de la lumière.
What words are commonly confused with "clair"?
"clair" is commonly confused with "clan", "clip", "cuir". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "clair"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "clair" is \klɛʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "clair" come from?
"clair" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “clair”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-L-A-I-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \klɛʁ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “clan” - see the side-by-side comparison. clair vs clan
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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