automat

/ˈɔtəmæt/

//ˈɔtəmæt// noun

"automat" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“automat” is uncommon English (frequency #95,709 among 3,931 “A” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#95,709
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A vending machine for food.

Corpus desk

Index EN-automat · automat · English

automat · rank #95,709 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #95,709
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Aurelian

Nearest frequency peer: Aurelian (-1 rank slots)

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.

Long-tail ranks near “automat”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “automat” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for automat
PropertyValue
Headwordautomat
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɔtəmæt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#95,709
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “automat” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).automatfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Aurelian” (#95,708), “atrociously” (#95,705), “atrazine” (#95,704). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “automat” is #95,709. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

automat is uncommon English at frequency #95,709 among 3,931 “A” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɔtəmæt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for automat in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from German Automat, as the system was originally developed in Germany in the late 19th c. Doublet of automaton. The correct English form is automat, spelled A-U-T-O-M-A-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A vending machine for food.
  2. 2
    A cafeteria consisting of vending machines.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. People from all levels of society ate in Automats at least occasionally. Movies often cast their cosmopolitan stars dropping coins in Horn & Hardart's slots, and tourists felt compelled to visit an Automat.
  2. The Automat, whose gleaming chrome-and-glass machines brought high-tech eating to a low-tech era, has gulped down its last coin and served up its last helping of macaroni, baked beans and kaiser rolls. The last Automat in the country, in midtown Manhattan, closed on Tuesday, a victim of changing eating habits. […] There were 30 Automats in New York when M…

Etymology

Borrowed from German Automat, as the system was originally developed in Germany in the late 19th c. Doublet of automaton.

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); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "automat"?
"automat" is spelled A-U-T-O-M-A-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɔtəmæt/.
What does "automat" mean?
As a noun, "automat" means: A vending machine for food.
How do you pronounce "automat"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "automat" is /ˈɔtəmæt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "automat"?
Borrowed from German Automat, as the system was originally developed in Germany in the late 19th c. Doublet of automaton. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "automat", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list