éclaircir

\e.klɛʁ.siʁ\

/\e.klɛʁ.siʁ\/ verb

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

The verdict

“éclaircir” has 14 generated spelling variants in the French index at frequency #16,277. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,277
frequency rank, French
40,273
“É” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Rendre clair, rendre plus clair.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

éclaircir vs éclairer
78% similar
éclaircir vs éclaireur
78% similar
éclaircir vs éclaircit
89% similar

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

Key facts for éclaircir
PropertyValue
Headwordéclaircir
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\e.klɛʁ.siʁ\
Letters9
Frequency rank#16,277
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “éclaircir” 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). éclaircir lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around éclaircir (IPA \e.klɛʁ.siʁ\), averb. Corpus frequency is #16,277 among 40,273 “É” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for éclaircir, with forms such as "célaircir", "eclaircir", and "écalircir". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "éclairer", "éclaireur", "éclaircit", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

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 éclaircir, spelled É-C-L-A-I-R-C-I-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Rendre clair, rendre plus clair.
  2. 2
    …
  3. 3
    Rendre la couleur d’une étoffe moins foncée.
  4. 4
    Rendre moins épais, en parlant des liquides.
  5. 5
    Rendre moins serré, diminuer en nombre.
  6. 6
    Rendre net, intelligible.
  7. 7
    Donner connaissance, d’une façon claire, de quelque chose à quelqu’un et s’emploie avec un nom de personne pour complément direct.
  8. 8
    Devenir clair, plus clair.
  9. 9
    Sembler devenir moins menaçant, moins inquiétant.
  10. 10
    Devenir moins serré, diminuer en nombre.

Antonyms

obscurcir

This word in other languages

clear up(English)esclarecer(Español)aufklären(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • célaircir
  • eclaircir
  • écalircir
  • écclaircir
  • éclaicrir
  • éclairccir
  • éclaircirr
  • éclaircri
  • éclairicr
  • éclairrcir
  • éclaricir
  • écliarcir
  • écllaircir
  • élcaircir

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of éclaircir - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

célaircir2eclaircir1écalircir2écclaircir1éclaicrir2éclairccir1éclaircirr1éclaircri2
Edit distance from "éclaircir"

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 "éclaircir"?
"éclaircir" is spelled É-C-L-A-I-R-C-I-R. The IPA pronunciation is \e.klɛʁ.siʁ\.
What does "éclaircir" mean?
As a verb, "éclaircir" means: Rendre clair, rendre plus clair.
What words are commonly confused with "éclaircir"?
"éclaircir" is commonly confused with "éclairer", "éclaireur", "éclaircit". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "éclaircir"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "éclaircir" is \e.klɛʁ.siʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "éclaircir" come from?
"éclaircir" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “éclaircir”

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

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

Same frequency band

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