Usage Note
Clef and clé are both correct spellings, with clé now more common in everyday writing. The word appears in many compounds: clef de voûte (keystone), clef de sol (treble clef in music). The adjective clé (or clef) placed after a noun means key or crucial, as in un poste clé.
Examples
"J'ai perdu ma clef de la maison."
Natural Translation
I lost my house key.
Literal Translation
I lost my key of the house.
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