Clang and Clank Are Not the Same Noise
A clang is a loud resonant metallic sound. English separates it carefully from clank, clatter and clink by how the sound behaves.
A clang is a loud, ringing, metallic sound, like a heavy gate closing. English keeps a surprisingly precise set of metal noises: a *clang* rings on, a *clank* is dull and does not, a *clink* is small and light, and a *clatter* is many small impacts at once. Swap them and any native speaker hears the mistake without being able to state the rule. In British slang, *to drop a clanger* is to make an embarrassing blunder.
- A ringing metallic sound. *The clang of a bell.*
- To make that sound. *The gate clanged shut.*
- Clanger — a blunder, British. *He dropped a clanger.*
- Clank — the duller cousin. *Chains clanked.*
- Clangour — sustained clanging. *The clangour of the yard.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | clang | A loud clang. |
| Verb | clang | The doors clang. |
| Past | clanged | It clanged. |
| Noun | clanger | A real clanger. |
| Noun | clangour | Constant clangour. |
- The gate clanged shut behind him.Sound.
- He dropped a clanger in the meeting.British informal.
- Clangour filled the foundry.Literary.
Metal sounds, ranked
- Clang — loud, resonant, keeps ringing
- Clank — heavy, dull, no ring
- Clink — light and small, like glasses touching
- Clatter — many rapid small impacts
- Jangle — irregular, like keys in a pocket
Imitative in origin, reinforced by Latin *clangere*, to resound. English recorded it from the 1500s.
What is the difference between clang and clank?
A clang rings and sustains; a clank is dull and stops at once. Bells clang, chains clank.
What does dropping a clanger mean?
British informal for making an obvious embarrassing mistake, especially something said out loud.