Is it a 5ft radius sphere centered on the caster?

I may be wrong in this but in the players handbook it’s listed as thunder wave and the damage and ranges are different but I may be confusin it for another spell.

Thunderwave is a different spell  https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/thunderwave

I am still unclear as to the range/area of the spell... does that mean you target a space up to 5 feet away and in a 5 foot space that you target this effect happens? It says each creature within range, does this mean any creatures in the 5 foot space or creatures within 5 feet of the target?

This spell description could use some clarification please.

If I am reading this right guys and gals. The monsters, creatures , or what have you . That are standing in the 5 feet in front of the player have to make the saving throw.  So for examples in my line of thinking. 

A giant and a gnome are standing in same black ( due to the size rule ) they would both have to make the saving throw. 

or 

A gnoll and a Pixie are in the same square they would both have to pass the saving throw. As the pixie in flying. 

Let me know if this lines up with your thoughts . 

Twitchygamer434 

Jake Reiter  

I think the effect is centered on you, and it effects everyone within 5 feet of point of origin (you) since the spell has no target. As it is a sudden, loud burst of sound, I would figure anyone within 5 feet of the source. Honestly can't say if I am right or not though. Also seems rather potentially powerful light AoE, considering it is a cantrip, so perhaps I am missing something in the explanation?

I would agree with RayvnSyn. It is a spell centered on you and expands 5ft in each direction from you. So technically a 15ft radius with you in the middle. It is a high risk high reward cantrip  as you would need to be in the middle of the enemies and you could also potentially damage your team mates if they are in the area of effect. 

There seems to be a lot of confusion on this. It's a sphere around the the caster in a five feet range.

Thunderwave is a lvl1 spell. 2 different slells

No it's a 100ft con confront of the caster

Could https://ansatsukyoshitsu.fandom.com/wiki/Stun_Clap be a variation of this?

How would the Stun Clap be used in D&D?

It is a different spell. Not listed in the players handbook.

For those wondering, the original description and range was errata'd in 2017. It's no longer 5 ft. radius. It affects all creatures within 5 feet of you. The version here on DnD Beyond is correct.

"Thunderclap (p. 240). The range of the spell is now 5 feet. In addition, the second and third sentences of the description are replaced by this sentence: “Each creature within range, other than you, must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 1d6 thunder damage.” (future printing)"

100 feet isn't actually that far, this actually makes a fairly quiet sound in the grand scheme of things. It's still definitely a bit louder than a normal talking voice, but you don't have to raise your voice much to be heard from 100 ft away. I feel like a lot of spells would probably have similar ranges of being heard.

that's some seriously squirrely wording

how can more than one creature be in range when it targets just a 5 foot square?

this is the same range and area of effect as a melee attack?

Quote from hypergig >>

that's some seriously squirrely wording

how can more than one creature be in range when it targets just a 5 foot square?

this is the same range and area of effect as a melee attack?

 It's everything within 5 feet of the caster -- all directions. In other words, a "15-foot sphere" centered on the caster. Compare Sword Burst, which has the same area of effect. Whenever you have a range and no target limitation, the spell affects everything in the designated area.

Compare also, Thunder Wave (the 1st level spell), which is a 15 foot cube originating from you. In other words, it covers 9 squares to your left, or right, or behind, or in front. Thunder Wave doesn't surround you. It covers a cube you designate. 

This one centers on you. That's why the caster must be excluded from the damage dealt. People are confusing this with Thunder Wave--completely different areas of effect. The actual area of effect is essentially the same (3x3 squares); the center-point of that 3x3 is very different.

Similar spell not the same

The Knock spell can be heard from 300 feet away. So, a loud knocking sound is louder than a thunder clap, or is that just a minimum, and they expect us to be super pedantic? Have the writers of these spells actually heard a thunder clap from close by? Or a knock (however aggressive) at a door? I mean, come on!

I once experienced the thunder clap in the middle of the night, from a lightning strike about 1000 feet from where I was sleeping. It was such a big boom that everyone in the dormitory woke up. My dorm, by the way, was not only 1000 feet from the strike, but also there was a hill and several buildings between the strike and where I slept. Granted, the boom comes from the entire bolt of lightning from the cloud to the ground, so much of the sound originated from above the campus, but still...

did you read the spell? it says 100ft.

Casting words are:

Explodicus Boomium