cloche

\klɔʃ\

/\klɔʃ\/ noun

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

The verdict

“cloche” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #6,690 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,690
frequency rank, French
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Instrument fait de métal, ordinairement de bronze, creux, ouvert, qui va en s’élargissant par en bas et dont on tire du son au moyen d’un battant suspendu à l’intérieur ou à l’aide d’un marteau ext...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cloche vs close
67% similar
cloche vs clope
67% similar
cloche vs clore
67% similar

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

Key facts for cloche
PropertyValue
Headwordcloche
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\klɔʃ\
Letters6
Frequency rank#6,690
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cloche” 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). cloche 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 cloche is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \klɔʃ\. Corpus data places it at rank #6,690 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 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for cloche, with forms such as "ccloche", "clcohe", and "clloche". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "close", "clope", "clore", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is cloche, spelled C-L-O-C-H-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Instrument fait de métal, ordinairement de bronze, creux, ouvert, qui va en s’élargissant par en bas et dont on tire du son au moyen d’un battant suspendu à l’intérieur ou à l’aide d’un marteau extérieur.
  2. 2
    Tout ce qui rappelle la forme de cet instrument.
  3. 3
    Ustensile dont on couvre le fromage pour l’empêcher de se dessécher, un plat chaud ou une théière pour les garder à bonne température.
  4. 4
    Globe qu’on met sur des plantes délicates comme des melons, des concombres, etc., ou sur des semis pour les garantir du froid.
  5. 5
    Vase de cristal cylindrique dont on se sert pour recueillir les gaz, les mesurer.
  6. 6
    Engin dans lequel on peut rester quelque temps sous l’eau pour y exécuter des travaux ou pour y recueillir des objets submergés.
  7. 7
    Forme de fleurs dont la corolle gamopétale rappelle une cloche (→ voir campanulée).
  8. 8
    Autre nom de la mariette, sorte de campanule.
  9. 9
    Cloque.
  10. 10
    Personne un peu bête, empotée, nigaude.
  11. 11
    Tête.
  12. 12
    Pièce de caoutchouc demi-sphérique placée autour du sabot d'un cheval de course, pour en protéger les glomes et ou d'aide à l'équilibre en apportant du poids.
  13. 13
    Meuble représentant une cloche d’église dans les armoiries. Elle est généralement représentée de profil avec l’extrémité du battant (batail) visible. Quand il est d'un autre émail que la cloche, on la dit bataillée. À rapprocher de clochette, grelot et grillet.
  14. 14
    Synonyme de fondis ou fontis par analogie avec la forme de l'éboulement.

This word in other languages

bell(English)campana(Español)Glocke(Deutsch)sino(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccloche,clcohe,clloche,clocche,cloceh,clochhe,clohce,colche,lcoche

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cloche - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccloche1clcohe2clloche1clocche1cloceh2clochhe1clohce2colche2
Edit distance from "cloche"

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 "cloche"?
"cloche" is spelled C-L-O-C-H-E. The IPA pronunciation is \klɔʃ\.
What does "cloche" mean?
As a noun, "cloche" means: Instrument fait de métal, ordinairement de bronze, creux, ouvert, qui va en s’élargissant par en bas et dont on tire du son au moyen d’un battant suspendu à l’intérieur ou à l’aide d’un marteau ext...
What words are commonly confused with "cloche"?
"cloche" is commonly confused with "close", "clope", "clore". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cloche"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cloche" is \klɔʃ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cloche" come from?
"cloche" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “cloche”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-L-O-C-H-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \klɔʃ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “close” - see the side-by-side comparison. cloche vs close
  • 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