Clear vs Visible

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Clear

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 adjective

Visible

Top 5,000 (fairly common) B2 adjective

Most common: Clear

	Clear	Visible
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/klɪə(r)/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/klɪr/"]/	🇬🇧 //ˈvɪzəbl// 🇺🇸 //ˈvɪzəbl//
Meaning	Easy to see through or understand.	Able to be seen
Example	The sky is very clear today, perfect for a picnic.	The mountain peaks are visible from the valley.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 5,000 (fairly common)
CEFR level	A2	B2
Part of speech	adjective	adjective
Collocations	be, seem, become, extremely, fairly, very, to, clear and concise, be, seem, become, extremely, fairly, very, to, clear and concise, be, extremely, fairly, very, about, on, be, look, become, extremely, fairly, very, loud and clear, be, become, extremely, fairly, very, be, look, seem, completely, fairly, pretty, of	clearly visible, visible signs, visible effects, barely visible
Antonyms	cloudy, unclear, muddy	invisible, hidden, obscured
Common mistakes	'Clear' is often confused with 'clean.', 'Clear' is sometimes incorrectly used as a verb instead of an adjective., Learners may forget to use 'clear' to describe abstract concepts, like thoughts.	Confused with 'invisible' (not able to be seen), Using it incorrectly as a noun, Overusing in figurative contexts when the physical meaning suffices
Usage notes	Use 'clear' to describe something easily understood or free of obstructions. It’s appropriate in both casual and formal contexts. Avoid using it in overly technical discussions where precision matters.	Used in various contexts, such as describing objects, conditions, or emotions. Not typically used in a derogatory sense.

See it in real clips

Sherlock › S1 E1

Quite clear.

Better Call Saul › S1 E1

One good fall, he'd clear 6, 8 grand.

Band Of Brothers › S1 E1

Is that clear?

Sherlock › S1 E1

Quite clear.

Better Call Saul › S1 E1

One good fall, he'd clear 6, 8 grand.

Clear

Frequently asked questions: Clear vs Visible

What's the difference between Clear and Visible?

Clear: Easy to see through or understand. Visible: Able to be seen

Which is more common: Clear and Visible?

Clear is the most common in everyday English.

Which is more advanced: Clear and Visible?

Visible is the highest level, at B2, on the CEFR scale.

Are Clear and Visible the same CEFR level?

Clear: A2, Visible: B2 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Clear and Visible?

Clear: adjective, Visible: adjective.

Can you show an example of each?

Clear: The sky is very clear today, perfect for a picnic. Visible: The mountain peaks are visible from the valley.

Can I use Clear and Visible interchangeably?

Not always. Clear and Visible are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.