adding machine

noun

"adding-machine" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“adding machine” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A simple mechanical or electromechanical calculator that performs simple calculations, such as addition or subtraction. It aids repetitive arithmetic, as compared with unaided human effort. It cann...

Corpus desk

Index EN-adding-machine · adding machine · English

adding machine · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 14 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for adding machine
PropertyValue
Headwordadding machine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters14
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “adding machine” in English

adding machinefalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

adding machine is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A simple mechanical or electromechanical calculator that performs simple calculations, such as addition or subtraction. It aids repetitive arithmetic, as compared with unaided human effort. It cann...".

No misspelling variants are generated for adding machine in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is adding machine, spelled A-D-D-I-N-G- -M-A-C-H-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A simple mechanical or electromechanical calculator that performs simple calculations, such as addition or subtraction. It aids repetitive arithmetic, as compared with unaided human effort. It cannot do advanced functions like a scientific calculator can.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how adding machine appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Near-synonyms: accounting machine, bookkeeping machine, tabulator

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "adding machine"?
"adding machine" is spelled A-D-D-I-N-G- -M-A-C-H-I-N-E.
What does "adding machine" mean?
As a noun, "adding machine" means: A simple mechanical or electromechanical calculator that performs simple calculations, such as addition or subtraction. It aids repetitive arithmetic, as compared with unaided human effort. It cann...
What language does "adding machine" come from?
"adding machine" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list