cleft vs slit

cleft and slit both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
cleft	Yes	Yes	No	No
slit	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, slit is a hyponym of cleft; that is, slit is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than cleft:

cleft (noun)	slit (noun)
a long narrow cleft	a long narrow opening
a split or indentation in something (as the palate or chin)	obscene terms for female genitals
	a narrow fissure
	a depression scratched or carved into a surface

cleft (adjective)	slit (adjective)
having one or more indentations reaching nearly to the midrib
split or divided

cleft (verb)	slit (verb)
	cut a slit into
	make a clean cut through