clan
/ˈklæn/
noun
Common
1.n.group of people related by blood or marriage
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clan and klan are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. clan means “group of people related by blood or marriage”. klan means “a secret society of white Southerners in the United States; was formed in the 19th century to resist the emancipation of slaves; used terrorist tactics to suppress Black people”. clan is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈklæn/
1.n.group of people related by blood or marriage
/ˈklæn/
1.n.a secret society of white Southerners in the United States; was formed in the 19th century to resist the emancipation of slaves; used terrorist tactics to suppress Black people
| clan | klan | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈklæn/ | /ˈklæn/ |
| Said | klan | klan |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 4 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun | noun |
| Senses | 1 | 1 |
| How common | Common | Familiar |
| Synonyms | kin, kin group, kinship group | Ku Klux Klan, KKK |
Full entry for clan · Full entry for klan · More comparisons